India to contribute the highest to SAARC food reserve

Dhaka, Mar 18 (UNI) India will contribute the highest 1.53 million tonnes of food grains to the SAARC Food Bank, proposed by the Bangladesh for food and nutrition security of more than 150 crore people of the region.

Bangladesh's interim government approved the proposal for setting up of a regional food reserve for rationing foodstuffs to member-countries of the South Asian cooperation forum at times of food shortages and emergencies.

A meeting of the Council of Advisers of the interim caretaker government chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed took the decision yesterday.

The food bank will start with reserve of 2,41,580 tonnes of food grain, which would gradually be increased.

Pakistan and Bangladesh will contribute 40,000 tonnes of food grains each, Sri Lanka and Nepal 4,000 tonnes each, Maldives 200 tonnes and Bhutan 180 tonnes.

SAARC secretariat in Kathmandu will play the role of the secretariat of the Board of the food bank until it establishes an independent one.

The forthcoming 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi on April 3-4 would give the final go to the regional food bank.

The idea of establishing regional food reserve was first mooted at the third summit. The concept paper was prepared during the 12th summit and it was formalised in the last summit held in Dhaka.

UNI