The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

The seasonal monga that repeats every year mainly due to job crisis of the farm labourers during the lean period of 'Aswin and Kartik' is being faced successfully by massive government steps taken this year in greater Rangpur, officials said.

The situation remained under full control this year following coordinated and diversified steps taken by the government under proper supervision and assistance of the armed forces that lessened extent of the seasonal job crisis, bite of the current monga and created wage-earning facilities almost everywhere in the monga-prone areas, they added.

Monga is under control due to massive ongoing programmes in various forms.

A huge number of poor and distressed people are being assisted to earn livelihoods through implementation of the programmes creating job and income-generating facilities in the area.

Besides, distribution of huge quantities of rice worth about Taka 100 crore under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme and massive post-flood relief and rehabilitation activities of the government for the distressed and flood-affected people have been helping to keep the Monga situation under full control, officials said.

Each of the nearly 10 lakh distressed and vulnerable families will receive a total of 50 kg rice with 10 kg every month during the five month period from August to December next under the ongoing VGF programme.

Various government, non-government organizations (NGOs), donor agencies and development partners are also playing important roles through implementing programmes in containing the situation and the area is expected to be fully monga-free within a few years, they added.

The easy-term and interest-free loans, agro-loans, training for unemployed youths, women and girls on various trades, distribution of various allowances, farming of vegetables, pisciculture, rearing of poultry birds, animal husbandry, cultivation of high-valued crops under the NCDP and early variety BRRI Dhan-33 and expansion of cottage industries are also helping them, they said.

Distressed people of the river erosion and flood-prone areas of all 35 upazilas in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Kurigram are now getting various assistance including VGF, VGD and the daily wages under the ongoing Taka 27.94 crore post-flood infrastructure rehabilitation activities of 'Palli Karmo Sahayak Foundation'(PKSF).

The ongoing poverty alleviation, income-generating and social welfare activities of various government departments and NGOs, CARE-Bangladesh, USAID, World Food Programme (WFP), DFID and other donor agencies, are playing very important roles in facing the situation and achieving self-reliance by the poor and distressed people, they said.

Besides, they said the ongoing well-coordinated massive programmed initiatives for monga eradication project of PKSF in 2,493 char villages of 168 UPs under 18 upazilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts has created huge job opportunities for about one lakh distressed labourers including women at this peak hour of the seasonal crisis.

Eleven NGOs including RDRS, TMSS, SSS, SKS, Ganoswastho, Padokhkhep, Uddipon, POPI, GUK and ASOD are implementing earth works for rehabilitation of the damaged portions of roads, raising homesteads of the poor, community places, educational and religious institutions in flood-hit and poverty-prone char areas of these districts under the PKSF programme from September 22.

A total 96,311 men and women labourers have been earning a daily wage of Taka 70 in cash for 41 consecutive days under the PKSF programme in the flood-hit areas helping the affected people in facing the monga situation during the lean period this year, officials said.

The 'Souhardo' programme of CARE-Bangladesh, VGD programme of the WFP, risk reduction project, char livelihood project, northwest crop diversification project (NCDP), social afforestation programmes and many other government projects being implemented are also contributing a lot in facing the situation.

In addition, the agro-based crop diversification project, animal husbandry, pisciculture and rearing of poultry birds, cottage industries, NGO-assisted small scale enterprises and interest-free loans are contributing to the rural economy in facing the situation by the monga-hit people of greater Rangpur.