Independent lawmaker Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee on Thursday criticised finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali for reducing subsidies in agriculture in the proposed budget for the financial year 2024-25.
鈥業 am not sure how the finance minister has reduced the subsidy in the agriculture sector in an agriculture-dependent country,鈥� the lawmaker said while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget.
鈥楾his year we are discussing inflation. Of 739 commodity prices considered, more than five hundred are agricultural products,鈥� he said.
He said that agricultural production should be increased to reduce inflation and farmers should be subsidised.
鈥楽ubsidy on agriculture has been reduced by 32.7 per cent which is very unfortunate. I am not sure how the finance minister has reduced the subsidy,鈥� he said.
He demanded that the amount of the past year鈥檚 subsidy should be kept in the budget.
The lawmaker also demanded an allocation of Tk 1000 crore instead of Tk 400 crore to issue VGF cards for the marginal poor group.
Stating that the people will not get benefits if the money allocated in the budget is not used properly, ruling Awami League lawmaker Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nashim said that the time had come again to amend the government procurement policy.
鈥業 call upon the finance minister to correct it properly and coordinate it properly to stop waste of government money,鈥� he said.