Short-term measures included ‘Dal-Bhat Programme’ of BDR, open market sale of food grains at subsidized price, withdrawal of customs duty on the import of food grains and edible oil, increasing the amount of food grain imports, lowering of interest rate against import credit of food grains, regular monitoring of markets, and fixation of maximum retail price for edible oil. The construction of Padma Bridge, development of Mongla Port, setting up of a fertilizer factory and a coal-fired power plant in northern region of Bangladesh, establishing vocational training institutes in mongaprone areas, extension of tourism facilities in the Sundarbans and Kuakata and giving priority to the project proposals and safety-net programmes for 16 the disadvantaged areas including char and monga prone areas would reflect the Government’s commitment towards a balanced development. To this end, the Government plans to take up in the next fiscal year a new programme titled 100 Days Employment Generation to ensure employment of the rural unemployed poor across the country for at least 100 days during the whole year and in particular during mid-October to mid-January and mid-March to mid-May periods. Included among these institutions are the Department of Youth Development, Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Bangladesh Cooperative Bank Ltd, Palli Daridro Bimochon Foundation, Department of Women Affairs, Department of Social Welfare, National Women Development Council, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, Department of Relief and Rehabilitation, Departments of Fisheries and Livestock etc. In the next fiscal year, there is a plan to procure a total of 32 lakh metric tons of food grains by the Government which include internal procurement and import of food grains including food aid. read more

Filed in: Cash Loan For Newly Unemployed