The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

Some economists have expressed the view that the measures announced by the Finance Adviser in his budget speech are not enough to ensure food security for a vast segment of the country's population living in penury.

Giving his reaction to the Finance Minister's budgetary provision to alleviate the sufferings of the poor, economist Dr Atiur Rahman of Dhaka University, said the proposed cash subsidy for the farmers using power pumps for irrigation was not enough as the Government is likely to increase the price of diesel close on the heels of the announcement of the national budget.

He praised the steps proposed to be taken to ensure food security for the poor people. He at the same breath pointed out that the food security programme of the government ignored the people of marginal income group.

Prof. Moinul Islam of the Chittagong University suggested that the government must build a buffer stock of 20 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to meet any contingency.

He was critical of the Government for failing to propose any concrete programme in the new budget to ensure food security of slum dwellers, garment workers and monga hit people.

He said the government's plan to build a stock of only 10 lakh tonnes of foodgrain is too inadequate. With this stock the government will not be able to keep the prices of foodgrain stable in the face of market manipulation by the middlemen and brokers.

He called upon the government to introduce food rationing system for the targeted people.

Finance Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam in his budget speech yesterday proposed to build a stock of 32 lakh metric tonnes of food grains through internal procurement and import of food grains including food aid .

Of the total stock of foodgrains, 30 lakh tonnes will be distributed through Open Market Sales (OMS) at a concessional price, Food for Work, Vulnerable Group Feeding, Vulnerable Group Development, Test Relief and Gratuitous Relief programmes," Dr Aziz said.

"By the end of FY 2008-09, the Government will still have a stock of 10 lakh tonnes of food grains. This will enable us to tackle any food security related risks," Finance adviser said.

In order to reduce the pressure of price increase of diesel, the finance adviser proposed to allocate Tk. 540 crore as cash subsidy to the farmers using diesel-powered irrigation pumps in the next fiscal year.