BSS, Rangpur :
The Asrayan Prokalpo has been proved to be effective in rehabilitating hundreds of river-eroded floating families bringing their economic self-reliance through income generation activities.
The beneficiary people are now leading meaningful life getting shelter, address and livelihoods after alleviating abject poverty with the blessings of the government’s most effective project here as elsewhere in the country.
The project has so far ensured peace and prosperity for 1,830 landless, homeless, destitute and floating families in all eight upazilas in the district giving them new life through providing shelters with ensured livelihoods.
According to Executive Director of North Bengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman, Asrayan Prokalpo has effectively rehabilitated the floating people through proper implementation of the government’s social safety- net programmes.
District administration sources said, construction works of 183 tin-shed barrack houses under 19 projects out of targeted 32 have already been completed rehabilitating 1,830 floating families so far in 29 unions of Rangpur since 1997.
Besides, construction of another eight projects under the Asrayan Prokalpo-II have been continuing for rehabilitation of more floating families and works of other three projects are remaining halted here for legal complications.
The local government departments have been implementing comprehensive activities for mainstreaming the rehabilitated people bringing self-reliance for them through providing all necessary support, training and assistance.
Under the project, all adult male and females of the rehabilitated families have been provided necessary training for increasing awareness, expertise and human resource development to enable them becoming engaged with income-generation activities.
Gangachara Upazila Cooperatives Officer Hosne Ara Begum said 750 floating families have been rehabilitated in 12 barrack houses in the upazila so far and Taka 65,87,000 easy-term revolving microcredit has been disbursed among them.
“The beneficiary people have been achieving continuous success following proper utilisation of the training, government assistance and credit management under official supervision,” she said.
Like other project beneficiaries, 90 rehabilitated families at Purbo Kochua-1 Asrayan Prokalpo in Nohali union of Gangachara upazila have set up example in 100 percent cooperative microcredit loan payments after achieving self-reliance.
Talking to BSS, rehabilitated Nazrul and his wife Bulbuli there said they got back new life and brighter future for children getting the easy-term microcredit under the government’s comprehensive social safety-net programmes.
Beneficiaries Alef Uddin and his wife Feroza Khatun said they are making good profits to raise capital through small- scale business, animal husbandry, poultry, tree plantation, vegetables and fruit farming at homesteads.
The things started changing when they got shelter at Purbo Kochua- 1 Asrayan Prokalpo to begin new life as the then government of Sheikh Hasina completed its construction during her previous 1996- 2001 tenure.
“We are now solvent having own assets worth Taka 3,20,000, have completed marriage of our daughter, purchased four more cows and added investment in our grocery shop to further increase incomes,” they said.
Beneficiaries Dulali Begum, Abu Bakar, Anwarul, Mariyam, Nurul Amin, Mofizul Islam at Chengmari-2 Asrayan Prokalpo said they became landless, homeless and floating since the Teesta eroded their houses several times decades back.
But, they are happy now after getting shelters and ending uncertainty in life, every one of them now has own assets, capital, cows, goats, poultry birds, homestead garden, kitchen, sanitary latrine and many other facilities.
