BSS, Rangpur :
The “Ektee Bari, Ektee Khamar – One House, One Farm (EBEK)” project has been effectively eliminating poverty of over 60 thousand rural families to make them self-reliant in the district.
The information was disclosed by Deputy Director of Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) Abdus Sabur while taking part in a video conference held at Gangachara upazila town here yesterdday.
The District Information Office organised the programme at the upazila BRDB office to inform the common people about the EBEK project, one of the Prime Minister’s 10 special initiatives.
Moderated by Senior District Information Officer Humayun Kobir, Abdus Sabur answered the questions asked by common villagers through video conferencing on progress and various aspects of the EBEK project.
Gangachara Upazila Women Affairs Officer Mahmuda Begum, Upazila BRDB Officer Abdul Mannan and Chairman of Sadar union Al Suman Abdullah addressed it.
The Deputy Director of BRDB explained about procedures of Village Development Samities (VDSs) formation and facilities being provided by the project in building a poverty-free Bangladesh.
“More than 60,000 members, one from a family, were brought under the project, most of which became self-reliance through various income generating activities,” said Sabur.
Up to 60 families or members of a village have been brought under each of over 1,000 VDSs formed so far and they were given support for skill development and capital formation to set up and run family farms, business and other income generating activities.
“Each of the 60 members, including 40 females and 20 males of every VDS, deposited Taka 200 per month that generated a fund of Taka 2.88 lakh for the Samity in two-year,” Sabur said.
He said the government provided another Taka 2.88 lakh as welfare grant and Taka three lakh as revolving loan to each of the VDSs.
“The VDS provides revolving loans up to Taka 30,000 to a member for income generation provided that the member paid back their previous loan installments regularly, Sabur added.
