DHAKA, March 6, 2021 (BSS) – Efforts are underway to disburse social allowance to 76.13 lakh more beneficiaries through mobile cash transactions-Government-to-Person (G2P) in “Mujib Borsho” for ensuring transparency and accountability.
“Some 12.37 lakh beneficiaries have been getting allowances through agent banking of Bank Asia Limited, NRB Commercial Bank Limited and Modhumoti Bank Limited,” Additional Director (Social Security) of Department of Social Services (DSS) Farid Ahmed Mollah told BSS here today.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 14 inaugurated mobile banking transaction system to send allowances of social security programmes directly to beneficiary in 112 upazilas through Mobile Financial Services (Cash and Development), Farid said.
According to DSS, initiatives have been taken to provide allowances to a total of 8,850,000 beneficiaries through G2P system directly in “Mujib Borsho”.
It said the DSS has already included information of 83 lakh beneficiaries in the MIS (Management Information System) software out of 88.50 lakh beneficiaries.
“Now, the process of opening account against each beneficiary is going on all over the country for getting allowance by the G2P system. The government is sending allowance under social safety net (SSN) programmes directly to beneficiaries’ mobile accounts to remove hassle and middlemen interference,” the DSS official said.
The DSS provides allowance in four categories including old age, widow, husband-abandoned women and insolvent physically challenged persons as well as education stipends to the physically challenged students via mobile financial service (MFS) operators-Nagad and bKash.
It further said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started rural social welfare activities to change the fate and livelihood of the people and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken up the scheme in 1997-98 for rural people welfare again.
“To attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the government is working sincerely to eradicate poverty, to make the country “Sonar Bangla” as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” the official said.
Apart from this, honourarium allowances for two lakh heroic freedom fighters are being provided through EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) system. At present, 100 percent disabled people have been brought under allowances and education stipends.
In the financial year 2020-21, 100 percent elderly persons and widows and repressed women by husbands have been brought under the allowance in 112 upazilas of the country. The government has a plan to gradually bring all the elderly people of the country and widows and women repressed by husbands under the allowances.
Farid Ahmed Mollah said, “We are celebrating the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this year. We hope to be able to provide 100 percent allowance for the four programmes in the G2P system this year.”‘
Meanwhile, on February 15, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the process of providing honourarium to the heroic freedom fighters electronically. At present, the government is paying honourarium of Taka 12,000 per month to each valiant freedom fighter. The Department of Social Services also implements the activities of providing honourarium to the heroic freedom fighters.
According to official data, Bangladesh’s poverty rate as per the poverty line came down to 20% in 2020 which had been 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 had been 25.1 percent in 2005.