The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The government decided to lend Tk 130 crore from the fund of the Finance Ministry in soft credit to cyclone-stricken small traders and fishermen as well as for livestock and poultry for the revival of shattered livelihoods.

A regular weekly meeting of the Council of Advisers, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, took the decision on the special lending scheme, as part of a massive post-cyclone rehabilitation programme. The Finance Ministry will disburse the funds through PKSF. The PKSF would operate the fund through micro-finance- providing organizations.

While thoroughly reviewing the relief and rehabilitation operations in the cyclone-battered southwestern region, the meeting was informed that pure drinking water is being supplied at Pathorghata with the help of diesel-run generator. Drinking water is being supplied in the remote water-scant areas from 35 new water sources.

UNICEF has provided 15,000 buckets with capacity to hold 20 liters of water at Pathorghata. A mobile water-treatment plant with capacity of purifying 2,000 liter-water per hour was sent to Bagherhat district this (Sunday) morning while two more plants were being dispatched in the evening to Pirojpur and Barguna districts.

Besides, the meeting approved a proposal on Bangladesh's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities along with its reservations on two sections of the instrument.