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A democratic government can never keep its people hungry: Kibria

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November 30, 2000 

Dhaka-- (UNB) - Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria yesterday said the government is committed to combating diseases and natural disasters and changing the life of the poor.

“A government of democratic nature can never want to keep its people hungry,” he told the concluding session of a three-day regional conference of Parliamentarians on Impact of Tuberculosis and Malaria on Poverty.

Some 43 members of parliament from nine regional countries – six SAARC nations and Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia - joined the conference.

WHO arranged the conference to seek support of MPs to disease prevention and health promotion activities to help fight poverty in Southeast Asia.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Alamgir Farrouk Chowdhury and WHO Regional Director Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei spoke on the occasion.

Explaining the government’s social welfare programmes, the Finance Minister said the government has already introduced special allowance to poor old people and widows.

Nearly half a million people, 10 from each ward of the union parisad, have been given a modest sum, he added.

“We could not start full-fledged social safety scheme but these measures have created a new sense of confidence for the vulnerable people that authorities care for them,” Kibria said.

The minister said old age allowance has become essential as old family structure is collapsing and poor old parents are left uncared.

Stating government measures to reach medical facilities to the doorstep of the rural people, the minister said some 18,500 rural community health clinics, one for 6000 people, have already been set up.

Focussing on the government’s similar concern for hunger and healthcare, Kibria said none was allowed to die of hunger during 1998 flood while several hundred medical teams were also formed to check flood related diseases.

Health and family welfare minister sought cooperation from NGOs and private sector, donor countries and agencies to ensure health services to all.