BSS, Rajshahi :
Some 6,153 more homeless families are going to get houses as a gift by the generosity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in all eight districts in Rajshahi division.
Construction works of the houses are going on everywhere in the division to handover those to the beneficiaries under the third consecutive phase in order to improve the standard of living, ensure basic education, health care and skill development on income generating activities of the poor people.
A total of 14,291 newly constructed houses were handed over to homeless and landless families in two earlier phases last year as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the Mujib Year.
Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division Moinul Islam said each of the semi-pucca houses with two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet, common space and veranda are built at a cost of Tk 1.91 lakh.
The floors and walls of the houses are brick-built as the roofs were made of corrugated sheet, he said, adding that the houses were made colorfully and eye-catching. The disaster resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government, he continued.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has provided them with the houses to alleviate their poverty through giving shelters and human resource development activities.
On behalf of Ashrayan Project-2 of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has built the houses, Islam added.
Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil said the construction of the houses is a laudable step of the government.
As per commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, all the distressed families will be brought under the disaster resilient housing facility in the division, in phases.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafarullah told BSS that the government’s line departments, including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, youth development, cooperatives, women affairs and social development, have started expanding their activities to the Ashrayan villages to improve the living and livelihood conditions of the settlers.
Abdul Mazid, Joint Registrar of the Department of Cooperative, said loans of around Taka 23.59 crore were disbursed among the members of 195 cooperative societies in 200 Ashrayan Projects in the division.
Adury Begum, one of the beneficiaries of Jhalpukur Ashrayan Project in Mohanpur Upazila, said she used to live in a thatched house before getting the new one.
She along with her daughter, who is studying in a nursing college, has been living in the semi-concrete house for the last couple of months comfortably at present.
The house comprises a bedroom, kitchen room with veranda, toilet and also connected to power.
“It’s like a dream to me,” Adury said, while sharing views of her happy life with a high-level visiting team at the Jhalopara Ashrayan Project in Mohanpur Upazila yesterday.
She told the team members that she had to suffer a lot due to lack of a house. But, the worst situation has changed now. She along with her husband and two daughters are having happy days in the house.
