The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira yesterday said that the government has distributed 8,612 acres of agricultural land among the landless people during its one year and a month tenure.

Addressing the inaugural function of the three-day agricultural symposium at the National Press Club as the chief guest, he said that his ministry has distributed this land among 18,857 landless people from January 2009 to January 2010, aimed at alleviating poverty from the country.

Besides, the government, he added, has also alloted water bodies under government ownership to the fishermen.

"The government is revising land rules with a view to protecting agrarian and non-agrarian lands and discouraging real estate owners to construct high rise buildings in cultivable lands," he said.

The minister said that the government has taken initiative to computerise land record, survey and management to identify the actual land ownerships.

He also said that the government has also taken steps to ensure quality seeds, pesticides and other agricultural inputs to farmers into fair prices.

The food-grain production had dropped 7 lakh tons from 2.68 crore tons during the BNP-led government as it negligence in agriculture sector.

Rashed Khan Menon, MP demanded of the government to constitution a land reform commission for the beterment of farmers.

Hasanul Huq Inu called for reformation of the agriculture sector to enhance food-grains out put and ensure food security in the country.

Economist Prof Qazi Kholiquzzaman said that the government khas land should be distributed among the landless after recovering from illegal occupiers. "Service sector can not be sustained properly without strengthening the production sector," he said, adding that movement must be started from grassroots level in this regard.

Dr Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, coordinator of Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) moderated the inaugural session.

Nearly 200 farmers were present in the first day of the three-day long agricultural symposium.