Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government have appealed for an estimated 777 million US dollars of foreign assistance for post-flood rehabilitation in the country, reports BSS

Besides, another 112 million dollars of foreign assistance was sought for emergency relief operation, she added while replying to a question from Gazi Mohammad Shajahan of Chittagong- 1 1

The Prime Minister said that massive agri-rehabllita-tlon programmes including disbursement of Tk 3,270 crore agriculture loan that entails Tk 1,535 crore crop loans have been taken up by the government to cope up with the damage caused to crops and vegetables by the devastating flood.

The public sector commercial banks. Krishi Bank and other financial institutions have already been directed to Implement the post-flood agrl-rehabllitatlon programmes, she added.

Hasina said that after recession of flood waters. Anal assessment would be made and fresh programmes would be taken up accordingly.

The Prime Minister said that repayment of agri-loan during 1997-98 financial year as well as before occurrence of flood In 1998 99 fiscal would be postponed. Besides new agriloan would also be given to the flood-hit farmers during the current fiscal, she said and added that instead of repaying the loan next year, they will repay this loan under a rescheduled programme.

Sheikh Hasina said, those who were made homeless by the flood would get priority in getting loan from house-building fund. In addition, the poor and marginal farmers as well as people affected by river erosion would be rehabilitated under 'Ashrayan Prokalpa' and 'Adarshya Gram Prokalpa'.

The Prime Minister said that necessary loans would be

provided for rehabilitation of fishing projects which were damaged by the flood. She told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government have already allotted Tk 20.31 crore as subsidy against chemical fertilisers while Tk 8.59 lakh have been allocated for building up a stock of paddy seedlings.

The Prime Minister told the Jatiya Sangsad that a Taka 10-crore scheme has been taken to rehabilitate the water supply, sanitation and sewerage system of Dhaka metropolis which have been heavily damaged by flood waters.

She Informed the House that the Public Health Engineering Department has so far repaired 45.174 tubcwells while levels of 18.029 tubewells were raised and 16.842 tullewells were made germ-free.

Schemes would be taken, she said, for installation of 43.200 new tube wells, repair of 20,000 disordered tubewells and set up of 100 village sanitation centers and renovation of 100 such damaged centres.

Sheikh Hasina told the Sangsad that necessary steps have been taken to prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases like diarrhoea. She informed the House that 4,088 medical teams are working round the clock to render medicares to the affected people.

The Prime Minister said the educational institutions which have already been affected or whose students were affected, have been made relief centres

and the schools were declared closed. The renovation works of these educational institutions would start immediately after the assessment of exact damage.

She said that Tk 10 crore has been allocated for repairing of damaged embankments on emergency basis while immediate. short-term and long-term schemes have also been prepared to rehabilitate and repair railways and roads.

The Prime Minister said that owing to devastating flood the import of foodgrains in the current fiscal has been raised to six lakh metric tonnes from targeted three lakh metric tonnes. Besides, she said, to met the food shortage, a commitment of four lakh metric tonnes of wheat was received from USAID and another 1700 metric tonnes from Italy.

Winding up a lengthy discussion on the country's flood situation, the Prime Minister urged the nation to get united at 'this hour of natural disaster' and help the distressed humanity sinking political differences.

This is not the time to find fault with others. Tills is the time for all of us to stand unitedly beside the distressed people. Let us help the hapless with whatever we nave," the Leader of the House said.

"Let us work together and pray to Almighty Allah to protect us from the prolonged calamity." Hasina said in her 30-mlnute speech.