UNB, Dhaka :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the Income Support Programme for the Poorest (ISPP) project involving Tk 2,377.81 crore to provide financial assistance to five lakh poor pregnant women and mothers having children up to five years in some selected areas.
The approval came from the regular weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said eight development projects were approved at the meeting with an outlay of Tk 4,490.86 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 1,636.41 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 7.44 crore from the organisation’s own fund while Tk 2,847.01 crore as project assistance,” he said.
Under the Income Support Programme for the Poorest, the Planning Minister said the government would provide financial support to some five lakh poor insolvent pregnant women as well as mothers of children aged between zero to five years. Local Government Division will implement the project by June 2020.
He said these five lakh poor and distressed women would be selected from 16 lakh families of 443 unions under 42 upazilas of seven districts of Rangpur and Dhaka divisions.
Of the total project cost for the ISPP, the Planning Minister said, the government would provide Tk 37.81 crore while the rest of Tk 2,340.00 crore would come as project assistance from the IDA of the World Bank.
The seven districts-Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Mymensingh-were selected based on the Poverty Map by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) since poverty rate in the seven districts is more than 35 percent alongside high-level of malnutrition.
Under the ISPP, Mustafa Kamal said the poor pregnant women would come under medical check-up for four times during their pregnancy period and they will be given Tk 200 every time.
Besides, the children, aged between zero to 24 months, would be given Tk 500 per month as physical growth test while children, aged between 25 to 60 months, would be provided with Tk 1,000 each after every three months as their physical growth test.
Besides, the pregnant women and the mothers would get TK 500 each for participation in every workshop on child nutrition and improved education.
Once the project is expanded throughout the country, the minister hoped, it would be excellent for the country to reduce child and maternal mortality as well as ensuring child and women nutrition.
The Ecnec meeting approved another project titled ‘Dhanua-Elenga and West Bank of Bangabandhu Bridge Nalka Gas Transmission Pipeline (BD-P78: Natural Gas Efficiency Project’ involving Tk 979.17 crore to be implemented by the Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) by June 2019.
Of the total cost, the Planning Minister said, the government would provide Tk 464.72 crore, while Tk 7.44 crore will come from the organisation’s own fund and Tk 507.01 crore will come from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as project assistance.
Under the project, around 66-km long pipeline with a 30-inch diameter would be set up in eight upazilas of Sirajganj, Tangail, Mymensingh and Gazipur districts in a bid to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the existing and under-construction power plants, fertilizer factories and other industries.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the Income Support Programme for the Poorest (ISPP) project involving Tk 2,377.81 crore to provide financial assistance to five lakh poor pregnant women and mothers having children up to five years in some selected areas.
The approval came from the regular weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said eight development projects were approved at the meeting with an outlay of Tk 4,490.86 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 1,636.41 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 7.44 crore from the organisation’s own fund while Tk 2,847.01 crore as project assistance,” he said.
Under the Income Support Programme for the Poorest, the Planning Minister said the government would provide financial support to some five lakh poor insolvent pregnant women as well as mothers of children aged between zero to five years. Local Government Division will implement the project by June 2020.
He said these five lakh poor and distressed women would be selected from 16 lakh families of 443 unions under 42 upazilas of seven districts of Rangpur and Dhaka divisions.
Of the total project cost for the ISPP, the Planning Minister said, the government would provide Tk 37.81 crore while the rest of Tk 2,340.00 crore would come as project assistance from the IDA of the World Bank.
The seven districts-Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Mymensingh-were selected based on the Poverty Map by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) since poverty rate in the seven districts is more than 35 percent alongside high-level of malnutrition.
Under the ISPP, Mustafa Kamal said the poor pregnant women would come under medical check-up for four times during their pregnancy period and they will be given Tk 200 every time.
Besides, the children, aged between zero to 24 months, would be given Tk 500 per month as physical growth test while children, aged between 25 to 60 months, would be provided with Tk 1,000 each after every three months as their physical growth test.
Besides, the pregnant women and the mothers would get TK 500 each for participation in every workshop on child nutrition and improved education.
Once the project is expanded throughout the country, the minister hoped, it would be excellent for the country to reduce child and maternal mortality as well as ensuring child and women nutrition.
The Ecnec meeting approved another project titled ‘Dhanua-Elenga and West Bank of Bangabandhu Bridge Nalka Gas Transmission Pipeline (BD-P78: Natural Gas Efficiency Project’ involving Tk 979.17 crore to be implemented by the Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) by June 2019.
Of the total cost, the Planning Minister said, the government would provide Tk 464.72 crore, while Tk 7.44 crore will come from the organisation’s own fund and Tk 507.01 crore will come from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as project assistance.
Under the project, around 66-km long pipeline with a 30-inch diameter would be set up in eight upazilas of Sirajganj, Tangail, Mymensingh and Gazipur districts in a bid to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the existing and under-construction power plants, fertilizer factories and other industries.
