Staff Reporter :
The government has assigned 55 officials to oversee the distribution of relief among the poor and unemployed, who have been hit hard by the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The officials, including additional secretaries, joint secretaries, and deputy secretaries of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the Department of Disaster Management, have been deputed to specific districts and divisions to supervise the relief programme
The ministry took the measure on Wednesday following the arrest of several leaders of the ruling party Awami League for stealing rice meant for the poor.
The officials will supervise the programme in coordination with local deputy commissioners and submit reports to the National Disaster Response Coordination Committee.
The government announced a nationwide shutdown of all offices and public transport, initially from March 26 to April 4, before extending it to April 4 as the coronavirus outbreak intensified.But the lockdown has sent the poor into great hardship as they lost their earnings.
As part of a humanitarian assistance programme for the poor during the epidemic, The government later allocated Tk 221.5 million in cash and 56,567 tonnes of rice in aid for the poor as part of a humanitarian assistance programme.
It also began selling subsidised rice for Tk 10 per kg to people from lower-income groups to alleviate their sufferings.
But on Tuesday, law enforcement arrested a few miscreants, including local AL leaders, for stealing rice from the government’s relief package in Natore, Joypurhat and Jashore.
The government has assigned 55 officials to oversee the distribution of relief among the poor and unemployed, who have been hit hard by the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The officials, including additional secretaries, joint secretaries, and deputy secretaries of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the Department of Disaster Management, have been deputed to specific districts and divisions to supervise the relief programme
The ministry took the measure on Wednesday following the arrest of several leaders of the ruling party Awami League for stealing rice meant for the poor.
The officials will supervise the programme in coordination with local deputy commissioners and submit reports to the National Disaster Response Coordination Committee.
The government announced a nationwide shutdown of all offices and public transport, initially from March 26 to April 4, before extending it to April 4 as the coronavirus outbreak intensified.But the lockdown has sent the poor into great hardship as they lost their earnings.
As part of a humanitarian assistance programme for the poor during the epidemic, The government later allocated Tk 221.5 million in cash and 56,567 tonnes of rice in aid for the poor as part of a humanitarian assistance programme.
It also began selling subsidised rice for Tk 10 per kg to people from lower-income groups to alleviate their sufferings.
But on Tuesday, law enforcement arrested a few miscreants, including local AL leaders, for stealing rice from the government’s relief package in Natore, Joypurhat and Jashore.
