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Indigenous Community

Budget allocation decreases every yr

Speakers tell roundtable

Staff Correspondent
Budget allocation for indigenous people is decreasing every year, said the speakers at a roundtable yesterday.
'Although indigenous people constitute around 1. 08 percent of the total population, only 0.30 percent of the current budget for the next fiscal year has been allocated for them. In the last fiscal, the amount was 0.40 percent which is less than the previous year,” they said.
To get this very small amount, the lawmakers from indigenous people's region had to go through immense hassles at all levels of the government, they added.
The roundtable titled 'Indigenous people-friendly budget' was organised by National Coalition for Indigenous People with the Support of CCDB, VSO and RDC at the Mahbub Kabir auditorium at Biam in the city.
The speakers mentioned that the needs of the Adivasis living in the plain are especially neglected than those living in the hills.
The annual allocation for indigenous people living in the plain is only 00.056, they said.
Prof Mesbah Kamal, spokesperson for the coalition and general secretary of RDC, said the very little amount allocated for CHT is actually intended for both indigenous people and the settlers living there and as such the actual figure is even more insignificant.
"More over there is no representation of the adivasis in the distribution process. DCs and UNOs are responsible for fund distribution, which is not always transparent," he added.
/According to the census held in 1991, there are about 1.2 million adivasis living in the country, and the total number of indigenous ethnic groups is 27. Non-govern-ment bodies, however, put the number in between 40 to 50 with around three million population.
These communities mainly live in the southeast (Chittagong Hill. Tracts), northeast; 'ridTth-central plains and the coastal belt.
JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu MP said the promises made in the election manifesto of the present government should be carried out.
He suggested special allocation for agriculture, forest conservation and land management as the adivasis are deeply involved with them.
Inu said rehabilitation of the adivasis evicted by settlers and developers should
be given special attention.
The roundtable also suggested formation of a special ministry for indigenous people, special allocation for protecting their traditional land rights, promoting cultural heritage and indigenous language in their schools, and supporting adivasi entrepreneurs.
Justice Ghulam Rabbani. Pro mo de Man kin MP, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on CHT Fazle Hassan Badsha MP, Editor of Kaier Kantha Abed Khan, President of Joinshahi Adivasi Unnayan Parishad Ajoy Mree, Executive Director of CCDB Joyonto Adhikari and Country Director of VSO Shahana Hayat also spoke on the occasion.