Opposition lawmakers yesterday accused the government of discrimination in allocation of development funds for their constituencies while a parliamentary body termed the allocation for rural development insufficient and asked the government to increase it.

The parliamentary standing committee on food and disaster management ministry was told the government allocated 1.50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains for test relief, 1.95 lakh tonnes for Food for Work Programme and Tk 168 crore in cash for the two programmes in the current fiscal year.

The committee at a meeting observed the allocation is insufficient to develop rural infrastructure badly damaged by the recent floods. It recommended increased allocation and decided to take up the issue with the prime minister and the finance minister.

Awami League (AL) and Jatiya Party (JP) lawmakers at the meeting alleged the ministry discriminated against opposition lawmakers' constituencies in allocation of funds for test relief and the FWP.

Responding to the allegations, Minister for Food and Disaster Management Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf said such incidents might have taken place in the past. He assured the opposition lawmakers of balanced allocation of funds for all constituencies irrespective the lawmakers' political identity.

The second phase development work under test relief and the FWP begins shortly in 122 constituencies with an allocation of 100 tonnes of foodgrains and Tk 20 lakh, senior officials of the ministry told the committee meeting.

The opposition lawmakers alleged their constituencies were not included in the list of 122 constituencies. "You should look into the matter so that no discrimination takes place in the process of development of the constituencies," JP lawmaker Noor Mohammad Mandal told the minister at the meeting, sources said.

AL lawmakers Kazi Sirajul Islam and Noor- E- Alam Chowdhury expressed similar views and demanded equal allocation of development funds for all constituencies.

The minister assured that the remaining constituencies would get development funds in the next phase.

DISCUSION ON MONGA
The parliamentary body also discussed monga (near famine situation) in the northwestern region of the country. It decided to visit the region after the Eid vacation to formulate a guideline to eliminate the crisis in the eight monga-hit districts.

" Allocation of relief for monga-hit people every year is not a solution to the crisis. We have to eliminate monga by creating employment opportunities in the region. The parliamentary body will recommend initiatives to this end," Chairman of the body Mohammad Shajahan told The Daily Star after the meeting.

Noor Mohammad, elected from monga-hit Rangpur, said people of the region face financial crisis at this time every year due to lack of jobs. This year the crisis took a serious turn because of the devastated floods, he added.

The parliamentary body thanked the prime minister and the food and disaster management minister for what it said is successfully handling the post-flood rehabilitation programmes.