Rural marginal people across the country are getting benefits under the expanded social safety net programme (SSNPs) through the G2P (Government to Person) system.
The system was launched by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a part of her government's plan to alleviate poverty.
At present, some 88.50 lakh rural marginal people are leading a better life as they get financial assistance under the SSNPs, one of the ten special initiatives of the Prime Minister, said an official familiar with the process.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the G2P system in February to ensure smooth disbursement of allowances to beneficiaries through Bkash and Nagad,” said Social Welfare Secretary Mahfuza Akhter.
“We are giving allowances through the G2P system aimed at ensuring smooth disbursement of cash to the marginal section of people," she said.
According to sources, the government has expanded the periphery of SSNPs and implemented it to ensure food security for the marginal people across the country.
“To attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the government is working sincerely to eradicate poverty and make the country 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” the official said.
According to the Department of Social Service (DSS), the number of beneficiaries of the four social security programmes is 88.50 lakh, which is about 14.28 percent more than the fiscal year 2020-21.
The government has allocated Tk 95,574 crore for social security purposes, which is 16.83 percent of total budget and 3.01 percent of GDP in the fiscal 2020-21, which was Tk 81,865 crore in the revised budget of FY 2019-20.
Last month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 'Government to Person' (G2P) system aimed at sending allowances directly to beneficiaries through their mobile phones.The beneficiaries are old aged persons, widow, husband-abandoned women and insolvent physically challenged persons as well as education stipends to the physically challenged students
According to official data, Bangladesh’s poverty rate as per the poverty line came down to 20 percent in 2020 which was 40 percent in 2005. The poverty rate in 2020 as per the extreme poverty line or people living in extreme poverty came down to 10 percent which was 25.1 percent in 2005.
The government has been implementing 145 social safety net programmes. Around 49 lakh people get old-age allowance at Tk 500 each per month, around 20.50 lakh widows or women get Tk 500 each per month. A total of 18 lakh insolvent disabled people are also receiving allowances at Tk 750 each per month. The government also expanded the number of stipends for physically challenged people to 1.0 lakh.
Besides, widow and old age allowance will be provided to 100 percent eligible people in 112 poverty prone upazilas in the country and all individuals with disabilities will come under the allowance this year.
Under the poverty alleviation programme, the government has disbursed Tk 707.2762 crore as interest free micro-credit among 43,06,206 people so far.
In FY 2020-21, another Tk 50 crore was allocated under rural social service programme, Tk 22 crore under rural maternal center (RMC) programme and Tk 1.82 crore under rehabilitation programme for burn and disabled persons.
Palli Matrikendra activities play an important role in empowering women in rural areas, providing economic self-reliance.
At present, the programme is being conducted by setting up maternal centers in 14,806 villages of 494 unions in 492 upazilas under 64 districts of the country.
Urban Social Service Activities (USCD) is an introductory programme under the Department of Social Services. The programme has been carried out for socio-economic development of the poor people of the city. At present, the programme is being implemented through a total of 80-city social service offices including all city corporations and district towns.
One of the activities of the city social service is being implemented successfully with the aim of implementing the vision of establishing a prosperous and caring society in the interest free microfinance at urban areas. Tk 51,04,68,000 has so far disbursed and the number of beneficiaries are 1,39,875 families.
