RAJSHAHI, Oct 23, 2019 (BSS)- A total of 1,360 poor and distressed families have become happy after getting brick-built houses for the first time in their life in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has constructed the rural level houses at a total cost of around Taka 35.16 crore under its Disaster Resilient House Building Project (DRHBP) under 2018-19 fiscal, said Jakir Hossain, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division.
“We will construct 1,662 more houses for the poor and extreme poor families in the division with an estimated cost of around Taka 49.84 crore during the current 2019-20 financial year,” he added.
He mentioned that the DRHBP is being implemented as rural infrastructure reconstruction (cash for work/test relief) programme with financial support of Prime Minister’s Special Allocation.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Aminul Haque said each of the houses consisting two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet and one corridor was built at a cost of around Taka 2.58 lakh with close supervision of the respective local house building committee.
He said implementation of the first phase of the project of construction of disaster resistant houses of the government has been completed successfully.
The quality of the houses is top in quality.
Haque added that the construction of the houses is a laudable step of the government. The homeless families got their shelters to live permanently in these houses.
Hurzan Bibi, 54, a beneficiary of Mondalpara village under Tanore Upazila, said she was homeless and used to lead an inhuman life. She added that she has forgotten all her pain after getting a house allocated to him by the government.
“After my husband’s die around 10 years back, I used to begging. I had to pass the night on footpath as there was no house to live in,” said Momena Khatun, 55, a widow of Kachua village under the same upazila, in a choked voice.
At present, a house has ensured her a happy life. “I had never thought, even in my dreams, that I would be able to live in such a good house,” said Kazoly Mormu, 30, wife of Buddhinath Hasda of Haldibona village under Paba Upazila.
Kazoly said they were suffering from utter poverty since their marriage. Her husband used to work as a day-labourer and it was very hard for her to maintain her family let alone to make a house.
Now, after getting a house from the government, she able to live peacefully with her husband and daughter Rita Hasda, said Kazoly.
Rita, 13, a student of class eight in the nearby Kasba High School, said the house has boosted up her level of confidence to continue her study. She expressed her deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the laudable initiative.
Upazila Project Implementation Officer Abul Bashir told BSS that the houses were made colourful and eye-catching so that the beneficiaries can derive total benefits of those.
He said the disaster resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government.