The opposition propaganda that monga is ravaging eight northern districts is designed to reap political gains and get media coverage, Noman said in a written speech at a press conference.

"During my visit to greater Rangpur region, I found nobody dying of starvation and nothing called for opening free kitchens as comprehensive relief programmes covered the region," he said.

Asked to comment on the media coverage of near-famine over the past weeks, the minister said: "I don't want to comment on the media reporting, but just want to say the reports are not always based on correct information."

He also described the allegation of widespread irregularities in relief distribution as 'stray incidents'.

"The government was prepared at the beginning of the Bangla month of Aswin this year and undertook all precautionary measures to tackle the monga," he said.

He said 22,756 tonnes of food grains were distributed so far under 7,49,083 vulnerable group feeding and vulnerable group development cards, test relief and aid.

Besides, sari, lungi, house-building materials and cash have been distributed among the poverty-stricken people.

Work on more than 250 projects involving over Tk 2 crore is going on under a money-for-work programme.

Monga occurs every year during Aswin and Kartik in the greater Rangpur region along the Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra causing acute food crisis, the minister said.

"As the government intervened with timely measures to mitigate the crisis and probable death, the situation is no worse than the previous years," he said.

It is a drop in people's purchasing capacity during the lean season not the food crisis that leads to starvation, he said.

The government intends to redress the monga sufferings through large-scale agro-based industries in the region and has allocated Tk 300 crore to that end.

Barkat Ullah Bhulu, MP, also attended the press conference.