Elderly, disabled to get allowances through e-payment system

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DHAKA, July 16, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to
launch tomorrow the e-payment system of allowances for elderly poor, people
with disabilities and widows under the government’s social safety net
programme.

Officials familiar with the process said initially 1,29,487 beneficiaries
under this particular category in 11 upazilas would receive their allowances
through electronic payment system called Government to Person (G2P) payment.

But, he said, gradually all elderly poor, people with disabilities and
widows who were listed as beneficiaries would be brought under the G2P
coverage.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the G2P payment
system through a videoconference at Ganabhaban tomorrow by transferring
allowance money to the beneficiaries of eleven upazillas.

The upazillas are Shibpur, Belabo and Palash of Narsingdi; Kishoreganj
Sadar, Tarail, Bajitpur,Bhairab and Katiadi of Kishoreganj; Gopalganj Sadar
and UCD under Gopalganj district, and Shibganj of Chapai Nawabganj.

A total of 83,572 elderly people, 26,387 widow and oppressed women and
19,528 people with disabilities will receive their allowances through the e-
payment system.

Talking to BSS, an official of the Social Services Department said the
government will gradually distribute all the allowances through the e-payment
system.

“The poor people will get all allowances without facing any hassle. SMS
will go to the receivers’ mobile,” he added.

Social Safety Net Programme has mainly been undertaken to assist the
poor and the disadvantaged people. The government has widened the allocation
of the social safety net programme in the national budget for 2018-19 fiscal.

In fiscal 2018-19, the government allocated Tk 64,177 crore for social
safety net programme. This allocation has been increased to 2.53 percent of
GDP and 13.81 percent of the total budget.

In fiscal 2017-18, the government allocated Tk 48,524 crore for this
programme, which was 13.06 percent of the total budget.

The number of recipients of old-age allowance was increased to 40 lakh
from 35 lakh while beneficiaries of widow and oppressed women allowances to
14 lakh from 12.65 lakh, disability allowances to 10 lakh from 8.25 lakh,
stipends for students with disabilities to 90,000 from 80,000 and maternity
allowances to seven lakh from six lakh.

The number of beneficiaries of primary school allowance was increased
to 143.95 lakh from 130 lakh while the higher secondary stipends to 7.22 lakh
from 6.78 lakh.