Bongo (U/E), Jan. 31, GNA - The Bongo District Assembly has been selected among 40 districts in the country to benefit from an 89 million dollar project under the Social Opportunities Project for 2011/15. The project, which is under the International Development Authority (IDA), is aimed at improving cash earning opportunities for the rural poor during the agriculture off season and reducing poverty among people of the district.

Mr Clement Akugre, Bongo District Chief Executive (DCE), on Monday mad= e this revelation during the 2010/11 launching of anti bush fire campaign in Bongo, jointly organised by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the District Assembly to create awareness on the negative impact of bush burning. He said the project would be labour intensive and would build the economic and social infrastructure in the target communities. "With all these interventions, you will agree with me that there is no amount of rationalization that can justify anybody burning the bush for livelihood," he said.

He said the government had introduced the various social interventions to mitigate the suffering of the poor and vulnerable in society. Mr Akugre said the Block farming component of the Youth in Agriculture= , free uniform and exercise books policies, intensification of the Capitation Grant and the Ghana Trust Fund(GETFund) were part of the interventions. He said the district had not experienced any case of bush fires since 2005 because of the fire safety education and effective utilization of fire volunteers in the area. He urged the District Fire Service (DFS) not to relent on its efforts of containing the bushfires in the area and appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders to continue to render their support to the Service. "The assembly would enforce bye-laws on bush fires to complement the efforts of the DFS," he added.