The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

A special meeting of the Council of Advisers was held here yesterday with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair.

The meeting discussed in detail the ongoing relief and rehabilitation programmes of the government in the cyclone SIDR affected areas of the country.

Chief of Relief and Rehabilitation Cell of the government and Communications Adviser Maj. Gen (Rtd) MA Matin presented a report at the meeting on the damages caused by the cyclone and the ongoing relief operations in the affected areas.

In the report, the Relief and Rehabilitation Cell Chief recommended to refrain from cutting trees in the Subdarbans for at least three years,

providing easy term loans to the victims and ensuring supply of seeds and fertilizer to the farmers in the affected areas.

He also recommended for modernizing the regional radio stations and introduction of community radio so that people could get information about natural disasters quickly and easily.

The report also put emphasis on giving priority to four worst affected districts in distributing relief and conducting post- cyclone rehabilitation programmes to resume normal life of people in these areas.

The Chief Adviser asked the concerned authorities to distribute relief and provide easy loan systematically in the worst affected areas on priority basis.

Laying emphasis on immediate rehabilitation, he said after relief operations, rehabilitation programmes have emerged as an important task to resume normal economic activities by the victims.

He asked the ministry of information to start the process of introducing community radio in the country.

The Chief Adviser told the banks and other micro-financing institutions to disburse loan in the affected areas in a coordinated manner so that more people get benefits.

Advisers of the caretaker government attended the meeting held at Chief Adviser's Office (CAO).

Cabinet Secretary, Secretary to the CAO, Press Secretary and secretaries concerned were present.