JELEBU,16 September 2001 - The RM1 billion fund approved by the Governmentin April to help rubber and oil palm smallholders badly hit by the fall incommodity prices has not been fully utilised.

This is partly due to the delay in the distribution of pamphlets on theGovernment assistance shemes to the targetted groups.

Rural Development Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said the pamphlets,highlighting the seven schemes made available by the Government via hisministry and two other ministries - Agriculture and Primary Industries -had yet to reach smallholders.

He said the ministry hoped that more than 20,000 pamphlets could bedistributed to rural folk next week, and 200,000 more would be printed anddistributed in due course.

When approving the RM1 billion fund, the Government decided that eligiblesmallholders, as identified by agencies like Risda and Felda, would bepaid between RM100 and RM250 per month.

The amount to be paid to each smallholder would however depend on thenumber of family members.

Speaking after visiting settlers at a Felcra settlement in Lakai, SimpangDurian, near here, Azmi attributed the delay in printing the pamphlets to"weaknesses in the bureaucracy."

"I hope the relevant authorities and departments will take a moreproactive approach and be more sensitive in efforts to help the poor andneedy, especially rural folk."

He said the pamphlets would be handed over to elected representatives,village security and development committees and the relevant governmentofficers for distribution to smallholders.

"The delay in giving away the pamphlets has created confusion not onlyamong smallholders but also government officers and electedrepresentatives as to the persons who are entitled to get aid under theschemes.

"The fund is already there. It's just that I really regret that not muchinformation about the schemes has been made known to the villagers.

"Not only printing of the pamphlets is delayed... the number of pamphletsprinted is also insufficient," he added.

On the village standard plan aimed at creating villages with at leastbasic infrastructure, Azmi said the guidelines on village managements andproposals for basic amenities were being worked out by his ministry.

He said the move would contribute towards the creation of beautiful, cleanand conducive villages.

The State Governments would be briefed on the plan once the ministryreceived the green light from the Cabinet.

He expressed hope that the guidelines could be adopted, the latest byearly next year.