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Hasina’s relief & loan plan for flood victims |
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October 1, 2000
Meherpur (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the flood-stricken people would be fed until next crops and exempted from paying agricultural loans for one year under a relief and rehabilitation plan she announced Friday. Making whirlwind trip to the flood-affected areas of the southwestern frontier districts yesterday she assured all possible help for the flood refugees in overcoming the crisis. She said the government would help recoup the losses in the agriculture sector, build the damaged houses and provide food on VGF cards till next harvest. “I have rushed here to see your condition, I am with you, I will remain with you and provide all possible help for alleviating your sufferings,” she told a gathering of the homeless people at Dariyapur school ground in the afternoon. Hasina, who passed the whole day observing the condition of the flood victims many of whom have lost homes, said her government is taking all necessary steps for relief and their rehabilitation and post-flood development of the areas. The Prime Minister visited the worst affected areas of Jhenidah, Chuadanga and Meherpur districts. People of these areas were dazed by the sudden flood onslaughts as they have not experienced floods in last 50 years or more. The flashfloods caused serious damage to standing crops, washed away mostly mud-and-straw houses and also wrecked roads and bridges, educational institutions and trees. Thousands of people who have lost their homes took shelter in flood relief camps or on high roads or patches of dry lands. Abdur Rahim of Chuadanga who was in Dhaka when the calamity hit their area could not yet trace out his father, mother and four brothers pushed out of homes. Their home at Mohammadpur village in Nepa union was swept away by a deluge of water rolling down from across the border. “I do not know where they are. I have lost my house. I do not know whether my father, mother and brothers are alive,” the teenage boy burst into tears while telling the sad tale of his family ruined by floods that hit the area in the dark of night on September 23 night. The Prime Minister first reached Moheshpur in Jhenidah district, distributed relief among the flood refugees in the Moheshpur Upazilla premises. She consoled them saying the government is very much aware of the sufferings of the people and will do its best to mitigate the sufferings. According to official sources, over 2 lakh people of Moheshpur upazilla of Jhenidah district have been affected and 130,000 of them have taken shelter in flood centres. In Chuadanga district 4 lakh people were affected, 20,000 houses battered and standing crops of 22,000 hectors washed away. In Meherpur 43,800 families were affected and 20,205 houses and crops of nearly 40,000 hectors of land damaged. Assuring the people all possible help the Prime Minister urged them to face the situation with patience and said food would be reached to every household, all the damaged homes would be rebuilt and the government extend help until the people can earn their bread. |