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Project for plain land ethnic groups

Tk 352cr for their employment


Published : 06 Sep 2019 09:14 PM | Updated : 02 Sep 2020 11:06 PM

The government has taken a Tk 352 crore project to create employment opportunity for ethnic minority people living on plain land of the country. Sources at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said around 22 lakh ethnic people belonging to 37 minority groups, living in 210 upazilas of 29 plain districts of the country, will be benefitted from the project.

Aiming at producing coordinated livestock, the project will introduce modern management system, cultivation of high quality grass and its preservation and modern technology among the ethnic people. These measures will create employment opportunity for them besides meeting their demand of protein.

The project named ‘Coordinated livestock promotion to improve the socio-economic and living standard of underclass plain land ethnic minority groups’ is scheduled to be implemented by 2023. Under the initiative of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Department of Livestock will implement the project. The government is hopeful that this project will help the plain land ethnic minority groups to develop their living standard and alleviate poverty. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already approved the project. The Planning Ministry is now working on it, sources said.

The whole of the funding of the project will come from the government exchequer. State minister for Fisheries and Livestock Ashraf Ali Khan said, “In the past, projects have been taken for the betterment of the ethnic groups of hill tracts of the country. But the number of the plain land ethnic people is not that small. Most of them are underprivileged. That is why the government has taken the project. The plain land minorities live in 29 districts of the country. ”

Palash Adeng, a member of Garo ethnic group, residing in Sherpur district said, “It seems that the government had forgotten the ethnic people residing outside the hill tracts. This project will help the plain land ethnic people to change their living standard as well as eradicate their poverty.” Garos, Santals, Hajongs, Oraon, Mundas, Monipuris, Khasis, Burmans, Koch etc. 37 ethnic groups live in 29 plain land districts in the country.