Leader of the Opposition In Parliament Sheikh Hasina yea terday resented the govern merit's performance in population control and called for involving the people's represents tives and political workers with the family planning programmes for their success, reports UNB.

The elected representatives could give more attention to implementation of the family planning programme in their respective constituencies by improving the services, she told a seminar in the capital yester day afternoon.

Workers of different political parties should also be encour-agedK to keep their families small, the Awami League president further suggested while speaking as chief guest at the concluding session of the day-

long seminar on Population and Development at the Osmany Memorial Hall

The opposition leader also asked the members of the par liamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to identify the irregularities in the family planning programmes and take steps to remove those.

"Let's strengthen our united endeavour to Identify the loopholes in the family planning programmes and turn our population Into a skilled workforce through education and train Ing-

in this context. Hasina called for evolving a permanent and pragmatic policy to turn the growing population Into an efficient productive force for a self reliant economy She stressed

the need for creating a favourable atmosphere for a social change and development.

Invol venfent of the population with human resource development as well as economic development is a precondition for success, she said, adding that pieeemeal efforts might bring Temporary success but would not help change the situation substantially.

The Awaml League chief said despite various programmes undertaken by the government, the population growth rate remained high, and "We cannot expect the present rate to reduce remarkably in the coming years."

There were many targets set by the past regimes of reducing the population growth, but those targets were not achieved, she said. In support of her contention, she said 60 per cent of the couples in the country still remained outside the family planning programme.

Giving statistics, the Awaml League chief said at present there are 2.20 crore women In the country capable of bearing child. This figure is likely to grow to 3.10 crore by 2005.

"We must bring down the net productivity rate to 1 per cent by 2005 from the present 2.3 per cent." Hasina said. This tar get cannot be achieved only by the bureaucracy, motivation is imperative to reach the target, apart from administrative efforts.

Cfting China and the Java island of Indonesia where booming populations had been turned into productive forces, Hasina said each and everyone in society should Join the movement for checking the population boom.

"If we fall to contain the population growth, not only will the extent of poverty expand, also the process of development will be hampered."

Making the family planning programme a success also presupposes "political will and commitment, bold leadership, proper planning and favourable atmosphere." she said.

Hasina "cautioned, poverty and social unrest would prevail, resulUng in increases in the food deficit and the number of educated unemployed people.

The AL leader said her party had given priority to education ■and health for the common people. Productivity would increase through education and efficiency that would also help Increase the earning of workers and fanners as well as reduce the population growth. Women's education is also an important factor for a planned family, she said.

Hasina expressed concern at the poor performance of the present Infrastructure for health and family planning. People are not getting adequate services from the workers employed in the concerned institutions. she said.

Monitoring system at the field level is very weak as. she said, high officials do not want to go to oversee the execution of the programmes. Steps should be taken for proper maintenance of family planning centres at the thana and village levels and for improving their services.

Health Minister Kamal Ibne Yusuf presided over the session. Suranjit Sengupta, MP. Dr A K M Qamruzzaman. MP, and Director of USAID Richard M Brown also spoke at, the concluding session.