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MEMBERS of the South Asian civil society have observed that it is not possible to eradicate poverty concentrating just on growth ignoring the poor. They emphasised on empowerment of the poor and their involvement in the development programme for poverty alleviation in the South Asian region. Their views came at a seminar organised in the city Friday by South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS) and Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Principal secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui was the chief guest at the function, chaired by former Indian foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey. Economist Prof Rehman Sobhan also spoke while economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman presented the report of ISACPA. Economic analysts, officials and members from the civil society from regional countries including Bangladesh joined the seminar at the BRAC Centre to follow-up the SAARC Summit decisions concerning the report of the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA).

The report, placed at the 13th MARC Summit in Islamabad, said policy-driven approaches at government level along with replication of best practices at the micro-level, backed by good governance, can help halve the poverty in the region by 2010.

Dr Godfrey Gunatilleke from Sri Lanka, Kharwar Mumtaz from Pakistan, Dr Quazi Mesbahuddin Ahmed and M M Akash from Bangladesh were the discussants in the seminar.

Prof Rahman Sobhan identified lack of synchronisation of regional and national agenda as an "inherent problem" of the regional initiatives to fight poverty.

He said, "Growth should not be meant for the rich alone and it has to be pro-poor."

"There is a co-ordination gap between the policies and initiatives at the micro level," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman.

With an optimistic note, he hoped that it is possible to reach the regional poverty reduction tar-get. Even if not achieved, the target would at least create pressure on the South Asian countries to expedite the on-going anti-poverty campaign in line with the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015, he told newsmen on the sideline of the seminar.

Rahman said an amalgamation of right policies and best practices in different countries leaves "a ray of hope" in reducing poverty.

Principle secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui said the project, proposed by the commission, laid emphasis on pro-poor growth, gender equities, sustain-able development of environment and natural resources and good governance.

The project also identified problems of governance, transparency and accountability as common obstacles in fighting poverty, said Siddiqui after the seminar.

Khawar Mumtaz said there is a large number of poor people who have already been excluded and also will continue to face exclusion from present development programmes because of existing social structures.

"So, now the issue is how you can change the structure of the society," she said, emphasising on the involvement of poor in the development programme.

"Unless we empower the poor, the problem will continue," she said.