Fishermen of coastal districts Patuakhali and Barguna, in Bangladesh have not got benefit under the government’s food support programme as the list of beneficiaries has not been prepared till now. The first phase of distribution of food grains was scheduled to start in March.
Meanwhile, about 55 percent of the registered fishermen of these two districts are outside the coverage of the food programme
“The number of beneficiaries has already been fixed, though the list for distribution of rice among fishermen under the programme has not been prepared yet,” said Md Azaharul Islam, acting district fisheries officer of Patuakhali.
Fisheries department sources said there are 84,718 registered fishermen in Patuakhali and Barguna districts, of whom 46,098 are in Patuakhali and 38,620 are in Barguna. Among them, 38,923 fishermen have been brought under the programme, of whom 25,173 are in Patuakhali and 13,750 in Barguna.
64.40 percent of the fishermen in Patuakhali and 45.40 percent in Barguna are out of the food support programme.
The government undertook a food support programme for the fishermen, especially hilsa fishermen, as subsidy during the hilsa ban period. According to the plan, each listed fisherman would get 40 kg of rice for four months from March to June this year.
According to government instructions, the first phase of food support was to be distributed by March 15. After finalising the list with the local union parishad, the food department gave allocation for two months, March and April, to the fisheries offices.
The government took the decision to mitigate the sufferings of the fishermen who cannot catch fish for eight months from November to June every year.
Md Harun Fakir, a fisherman of Tatulbaria village of Nishanbaria union under Taltali upazila in Barguna district said, “Fishing is my only profession and I have to maintain a family of six, but now I am passing hard times as I couldn’t catch fish since November.
Till now I have not got food support from the fisheries office though I learnt I will get 40 kg of rice for each month. I can’t support my family as there is no alternative job.”
“I couldn’t pay tuition fees of my daughter who is studying in Taltali College as I have no job,” said another fisherman, Abdul Bareq, of the same area.
Like Harun Fakir and Abdul Bareq many in the area are passing hard days as they have not got food support though March has already passed and April is about to end.
Md. Alauddin Paltu, UP chairman of Kakchira Union Parishad under Taltali upazila said, “I didn’t prepare the list of fishermen for the food support programme as members didn’t submit their list to my office although I asked them to do so by March 15.”
Ranjit Kumer Sarker, Project Implementation Officer (PIO) of Barguna Sadar upazila said, “We already got allocation from food office but we couldn’t distribute it as the list has not been submitted to our office.”
Alfaj Uddin Shaikh, Barguna Sadar upazila fisheries officer, said 3,894 out of 6,613 registered fishermen were brought under the food support programme. “We will distribute rice among them after getting the list from UP chairmen,” he said.
Bankim Chandra Biswas, Barguna district fisheries officer, said 13,750 out of 38,620 fishermen in the district were brought under food support programme. “We will start distribution after getting the list from UP chairmen through upazila parishads,” he said.
When contacted, Md Azaharul Islam, acting district fisheries officer in Patuakhali, said 25,173 out of 46,098 fishermen would be brought under food support in the district, which would be distributed after getting the list from the union parishads through all eight upazila parishads.
The Daily Star, 2015