The National Committee on Canal Digging Programme has decided to undertake a pro gramme of excavation or re-ex cavaUon of canals In the current year, keeping in view the benefits of the people In terms of increased agricultural and fish production and tree plan taUon reports BSS

The decision was taken at this year's first meeting of the committee held at the Interna tional Conference Centre (ICC) yesterday with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in the chair

It was decided at the meeting that a total of 128 canals would be excavated or re-excavated in the year 1993-94 and 35 thou sand metric tons of wheat had been allocated for this purpose

The meeting decided that 75 per cent of the digging pro gramme would be carried out under the Food for Work Programme while the rest 25 per cent would be on voluntary ba sis.

The meeting further decided that awards would be given for the successful canal digging