The country’s scientists, extension workers and officials have been instructed to increase rice production at any cost. Despite record production and the highest ever government stockpile, the price of rice in the country could not be controlled. Rice production has to increase at any cost.
Agriculture Minister and Awami League presidium member Dr Md Abdur Razzque said this while addressing a meeting to review the progress of implementation of the Annual Development Program (ADP) at his secretariat office in the capital on Sunday.
The minister said, “Rice is our staple food. In this situation, expansion of paddy cultivation in extensive areas including Haors and coasts, and newly invented high productive varieties need to be taken to the field quickly. In this case, all the officials including scientists and extension workers have to work in a coordinated and intensive manner.”
Calling upon the officials not to lobby for becoming the project director (PD), the minister said, “The project director is appointed considering various aspects including professional skills, qualifications, leadership and management ability”.
After becoming a PD, you will take unethical opportunities through irregularities and corruption - in this hope you will not become a PD by lobbying. And those who have become PDs, they have to spend money on the project with utmost transparency. We have to work with honesty, devotion and caution.”
The agriculture minister instructed the officials of the ministry to strictly supervise the work of the project on the spot.
The meeting was informed that the number of projects under implementation of the Ministry of Agriculture in the current fiscal year 2021-22 is 71. The total allocation is Tk 2,928 crore. By December 2021, the implementation progress has been about 32 percent, which is eight percent more than the national average progress. At this time the national average progress has been 24 percent.
Additional secretaries of the ministry Md Abdur Rauf, Kamal Ranjan Das, Md Ruhul Amin Talukder, Balai Krishna Hajra, Abdullah Sajjad, other senior officers, heads of organization and project directors were present at the meeting.
