The Minister for Food and Disaster Management, Abdur Razzaque, on Thursday said the government had imported more than 13 lakh tonnes of rice from four countries at the cost of Tk 4,773 crore in the last two and a half year.
Responding to a question by Jainal Abedin in the Parliament, the minister said that a total of 13,15,223 tonnes of rice was imported from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Pakistan.
He also said the government had imported 20,42,000 tonnes of various food items in the last fiscal year.
Answering a question by Tajul Islam, he said that the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation runs 19 cold storages just for preserving seeds, but it has plans to set up 10 more cold storages for storing potatoes.
The minister said that 47 flood shelters were built in the last fiscal year in areas that are prone to flood and river erosion.
Besides, the government has plans to establish educational institution-based flood shelters at 157 institutes in 43 districts.
In response to a query by Molla Jalaluddin, the minister said that Tk 57 lakh and 3,000 tonnes of rice have been allocated as general relief for 32 districts, sections of which have been flooded, and Tk 7 lakh for rebuilding houses that have collapsed.
The minister, replying to another question by Sadhana Haldar, said the government has taken initiatives to involve the people in disaster management and plans to train 30 thousand volunteers. Already six thousand volunteers have been trained, he added.
Source : New Age
