The World Food Programme (WFP) will provide 183.000 tons of food grains at a cost of Taka 170 crore to Bangladesh for sustainable food security and poverty alleviation programmes. WFP sources said here yesterday, reports BSS.

The said, about 85 per cent of the resources for rural development have been allocated to the areas with high and moderate food insecurity and will be channelled to the activities that support women.

The rural development project is expected to generate employment to some half a million people including 175.000 women, during January to May 1998, providing benefit to above three million rural poor.

The support programmes in the water development sector have been allocated 100.000 tonnes of wheat and Taka 20 crore for implementation of projects under Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

The BWDB projects will employ some 200.000 rural people and in addition, some eight million people will be benefit-

ting from the rehabilitation and maintenance of 239 flood control embankments, drainage canals and irrigation schemes.

The WFP sources . said. 27.000 tonnes of wheat and Taka eight crore have been allocated for the improvement, construction and maintenance of over 2.700 kilometres long growth centre connecting roads in collaboration with Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). An additional Taka three crore has been provided for construction of 120 bridges and culverts.

The forestry sector has been allocated 32.500 tonnes of wheat and Taka four crore. At least ten million trees covering 1000 acres of blocks and 8.000 kilometres along the roadsides will be planted under 493 schemes.

The sources said. 13,000 tonnes of wheat and Taka 4.5 crore have also been allocated for the fisheries sector for developing some 700 hectares of water bodies and increasing fish production by 1.500 tons.