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Speakers at a seminar on poverty alleviation said appropriate policies at government levels along with replication of best practices can help overcome poverty in the region. South Asia Centre for Policy Studies in collaboration with Centre for Policy Dialogue organised the seminar in the city on Friday. The speakers said that human resources are also the best resources for any nation to alleviate poverty if these are used properly. Dr Kamal Siddiqui, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, addressing the seminar as chief guest, said, "We have laid emphasis on prudent macro-economic policies and replication of best practices of poverty alleviation initiatives along with enhancing gender equities, promotion of rural technology and expertise sharing in our report in the SAARC summit." Prof. Muchkund Dubey, a, former foreign secretary of India, now president of the Council for Social Development, was in the chaired. The seminar was addressed, among others, by Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, Khawa Mumtaz, Dr. Quazi Mesbahuddin Ahmed, and Professor M M Akash.

Dr Kamal Siddiqui said the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation identified problems of governance, transparency and accountability as common obstacles in fighting poverty.

The SAARC summit in Islamabad last month accepted the commission report while Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Bhajpayee promised 100 million dollars to raise a fund for its implementation.

The commission has set a tar-get to halve the poverty level by 2010 against the global target of 2015 in an apparent bid to create pressure on the South .Asian countries to expedite the anti-poverty campaign.