Food Crisis: 900 families given aid in Sajek

The Rangamati district administration on Monday gave 900 families of 76 remote villages in Baghaichhari's Sajek union money and rice. 

Each of the families was given 20kg of rice and Tk 500 at Baghaihat Bazar and Ruilui Para Club. 

While distributing the rice and money among the people, Manzarul Manna, Rangamati deputy commissioner, said the government was always with the poor in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). If needed, they would provide more aid, he said.

The DC added that within a few days, they would provide rice and financial aid to the people of other remote areas in Sajek -- Batling Para, Tuichui and Siyaldow.

The poor in Sajek have been suffering from food crisis for over two months as their purchasing power dropped due to poor yield from their farms and low prices of bamboo, a major income source for many locals.

Earlier, there was an allegation that all the families suffering were not getting the aid.

Reboti Moho Chakma, 55, karbari (chief) of Paschim Hagarachhari village, said their chairman had asked them to submit a list of families, and he had submitted the list to the chairman. But only nine out of 19 families listed had received rice.

Like Reboti, Shuvo Raj Chakma, 65, of Dakkhin Hagarachhari village, and Horanne Chakma, 80, of Daripara village, said they did not get any rice. 

Bikash Chakma, 45, of Hagarachhari village, said he had to walk eight hours to get to Machalong Bazar for collecting the rice. But he had to return home empty-handed because his name was not on the list.

Contacted, Sajek Union Parishad Chairman Nelson Chakma said the number of poor families in remote areas was huge and that it was very hard to make a proper list.

Many of them were not on the list. The families which did not get the government aid would receive the aid in future, he said.