RAJSHAHI, May 29, 2020 (BSS) – Over 25.36 lakh jobless and other hand-to-mouth families comprising around 1.14 crore populations have, so far, received food and cash aid to mitigate their livelihood related hardships caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Rajshahi division.
As part of its instant humanitarian support to cope with the present troubled situation, the government has disbursed 19,190 tonnes of rice and Taka 11.76 crore in cash among the families in need till this morning.
Humayun Kabir Khandaker, Commissioner of Rajshahi Division, said each of 16,58,260 families received 10 kilograms of rice while another 8,77,790 families got Taka 1,000 in cash for baby food and other emergency expenses each amid the pandemic in all eight districts in the division.
A total of 3,342 tonnes of rice and over Taka 2.10 crore in cash are in the stock at present for distribution in line with the present uninterrupted efforts of reaching the relief assistance among the affected people.
Meanwhile, 4,529.27 tonnes of rice and 12,142.49 tonnes of flour have been distributed at Taka 10 and Taka 18 per kilogram respectively among the families in need under the government’s open market sale (OMS) programme in the division till Thursday last, said Raihanul Kabir, regional controller of food.
Besides, 1,34,745.79 tonnes of rice was distributed among 7,73,026 enlisted poor and extreme poor households under the government’s “Food Friendly Programme” till the same day.
Another 4,500 tonnes of rice is also being distributed among the needy families under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme, Raihanul Kabir said, adding that each of 1.5 lakh beneficiary families is getting 30 kilograms of rice every month free of cost continuously.
Rajshahi City Corporation has, so far, disbursed 378 tonnes of rice, five tonnes of flour, 64 tonnes of pulse, 67 tonnes of potato, 2,000 packets of baby food, 350 tonnes of seasonal vegetables and 3,950 packets of cooked foods benefiting around 1.39 lakh jobless and poor families in the city.
Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said 7,400 households were given foodstuffs as the gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina very recently.
Various other government and non-government entities are distributing foodstuffs among the needy families to cope with the troubled situation.
On the other hand, 69,384 personal protective equipment (PPE) have, so far, been distributed among the frontline healthcare workforces to handle the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting them from the virus infection. There are 48,001 more PPE in stock for distribution.
A total of 935 doctors and 1,669 nurses are working in 172 public and private hospitals in the division. Around 1,914 beds, out of the total 4,899, have already been prepared for treatment of the possible COVID-19 infected patients.
There are arrangements of 462 beds in isolation units here and 19 ambulances for emergency transportation and treatment of the infected patients.