The government has brought an estimated of 53 lakh disadvantaged people under the programme for allowances for elderly, destitute, insolvent, disabled and other section of people across the country.
“Around 53 lakh disadvantaged people like elderly, destitute, insolvent disabled, tea garden workers and other section of people are getting allowances across the country,” Social Welfare Secretary M Jillar Rahman told on Monday.
He said the number of allowance beneficiaries of the country is increasing and the programme is being extended across the country aimed at bringing those under mainstream of the society by improving their livelihood.
“The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to ensure social safety net across the country aimed at turning Bangladesh into a poverty and hunger-free country and improving the socio-economic condition of the extreme poor,” Rahman said.
According to the social welfare ministry, a total of 31.50 lakh people aged 65 years and above are receiving old-age allowance of Taka 500 each, 11.50 lakh distressed women are getting allowances of Taka 500 each across the country and 7.50 lakh insolvent disabled people are also receiving allowances at taka 600 each.
Besides, the government has also been operating programmes for bringing downtrodden section of the people, especially for the tea garden workers, transgender, humiliated section of people (Dalit) and gypsy community, to improve livelihoods and life standard, it showed.
The information mentioned that the government has also been providing stipend for disabled students and some 70,000 students are getting stipend at four stages.
The government launched the safety net campaign across the country providing old-age allowance, widow allowance, divorced women, disabled allowance, distressed women allowance, poor pregnant women’s allowance, financially insolvent freedom fighter remuneration, subsidised open market sale, Vulnerable Group Development (VGD), Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF), Test Relief (TR), food for work and programme for friendly food, it said. In line with the government’s initiatives, various projects under the social safety net have been undertaken to improve the lifestyle of the extreme poor people.
An official of the ministry said the government has been implementing various innovative programmes for alleviating poverty and ensuring improvement of their lifestyle after assuming power in 2009 and the extreme poor families got direct benefit due to the realistic steps of present government. The safety net programme has been bringing more destitute people to make sustainable socio-economic security level.
“Poverty in Bangladesh has dramatically reduced following inclusive growth strategy under the bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he added.
Generally, economic growth in any developing country creates inequality. It is a great challenge for any emerging economy to bring the backward section of population within the fold of the mainstream economic activities,” the official said.
