Government to use some development project money for welfare: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said that the government would use money of some development projects for the welfare of the people without completing the projects now to overcome coronavirus crisis.

‘We have many development projects which are not very needed to complete now. We can save the money from those to use for the welfare of the people now,’ she told the briefest session of the Jatiya Sangsad participating in the discussion on the condolence motion over the death of lawmaker and former land minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif.

She also said that the government has taken measures to ensure food security for the people targeting the possible impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We have no scarcity of food. But we should continue our agricultural production,’ she said, adding that the government will provide the farmers with loans at 4 per cent interest to continue production in the agricultural sector.

The government has taken plans and measures to keep the economy moving and vibrant in the next three years so that the people will never suffer in case of the worldwide famine is seen as the backlash of the coronavirus pandemic, she said.

‘If we can harvest the paddy properly [this season], we will have no food crisis,’ said Hasina.

She said that now there was opportunity for day laburers to earn money from harvesting paddy.

Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of Shamsur Rahman Sherif.and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

Earlier, speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion at the beginning of the day’s business.

AL senior parliamentarians Matia Chowdhury, Shajahan Khan and Mohammad Nasim, opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga also joined the condolence motion.

On April 2 last, Shamsur Rahman Sherif, also president of Pabna district unit of Awami League, passed away at a hospital in Dhaka.

Besides, president M Abdul Hamid on the day prorogued the 7th session of the 11th parliament that was convened just for over an hour amid nationwide COVID-19 shutdown due to constitutional obligations.

The president said the prorogation was ordered following a brief session to evade public gatherings in people’s interest in view of the novel coronavirus situation.

The single-day session was limited in adoption of an obituary reference on several distinguished personalities, including Shamsur Rahman.

According to the parliament secretariat the session was held for just one hour and 25 minutes which is the briefest session of parliamentary history in the country.

Few numbers of lawmakers attended in the session just to make the quorum as they seated in specie arrangement ensure necessary social distance.

The lawmakers were in gloves and masks. The quorum requires the presence of at least 60 members.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net