The SAARC Commission on Poverty Alleviation is expected to take an Institutional shape after the meeting of Finance and Planning Ministers of the member-countries of the forum. beginning here Sunday, reports UNB.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. the current chairperson of SAARC. will inaugurate the two-day meeting at the International Conference Centre (ICC).

The commission was constituted at the Colombo summit to fight hunger, poverty and illiteracy bedeviling South Asian societies.

The meeting, first of its kind, is being held in response to a proposal by Begum Zia at the last summit of the' sevennation foruni in the city which called for ensuring ~Dal Bhat-Ui millions of poverty-stricken people of South Asia.

All working and concluding sessions of the moot will be held at Hotel Sheraton Ministers are expected to exchange views on incomegenerating projects, eradication of malnutrition and illiteracy and upgradation of rural infrastructure for working out plans for poverty alleviation, a core element to the SAARC.

They are expected to identify new areas of cooperation to make the 1 O-year-old association more dynamic and workable for promotion of socioeconomic condition of more than one billion people in the region.

Indian Finance Minister Manmohan Singh will lead his country's delegation at the meeting while Pakistan team will be headed by VA Zafarey. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Economic Affairs. Finance Minister Saiftir Rahman will lead the homeside.

Deputy Minister of. Planning. Human Resources and Environment of the Maldives Dr Abdul Sattar Yoosuf. Minister of State for Commerce and Civil Supplies of Nepal Suren dra Prasad Chaudhary and Bhutanese Planning Minister Lynopo C. Dorjl will lead delegations of their respective countries. Sri Lanka Is unlikely to be represented at the meeting by any minister as they are busy with forthcoming general elections.

All ministers are due to arrive here Saturday SAARC Secretary General YK Silwa! will also attend die meeting.

Senior officials of the mem ber-countries who will hold a ewu day meeting hum . . . , to finalise agenda of the ministerial meeting are scheduled to arrive In the city today