Mujib Birth Centenary Celebration PM asks ministries not to seek separate funds

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked ministries and government agencies concerned not to seek separate allocations for celebrating the birth centenary of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Chairing the weekly cabinet meeting at her office, the prime minister said that all ministries, divisions and departments should take programmes marking the event without extravagancies from their own budget already allocated for them, according to officials.

The prime minister issued the directive as various ministers sought approval of funds from the finance ministry for celebration of Mujib’s birth centenary, the officials said. 

‘The prime minister said all ministries and divisions have been asked to take notable and innovative programmes from the money already allocated for them in the budget for different purposes,’ cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told a press briefing at the secretariat after the meeting.

Responding to a question, he said that the prime minister had directed all to avoid extravagancies and think of innovative programmes offering different services related to their respective departments and agencies while the Public Works Department was asked to construct stages as per requirements of various departments.

The cabinet secretary said that the government would centrally organise a programme while various government agencies would chalk out separate programmes marking the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujib.

The cabinet endorsed the draft of National Agriculture Extension Policy 2020 updating the similar policy of 1996 to ensure safe, nutritious and profitable produces through use of modern technology and information services in the agriculture sector.

‘The main goal of this policy is to ensure the production of climate tolerant, environment-friendly, safe, sustainable, nutritious and profitable crops for the benefits of both farmers and consumers,’ said Anwarul .

He said that the provision of cooperative-based farming had been incorporated in the revised policy for increasing profitability and productions of crops.

The cabinet also gave the final approval to the draft of Sunamganj Science and Technology University Bill 2020, which would be the 20th science and technology university of the country.

At present, there are 46 public universities including four medical universities in operations, said the cabinet secretary, adding that there were still 32 districts that were yet get any university.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net