By Engr Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, Jan 13, 2021 (BSS) – A total of 11,753 homeless and landless families will get houses in two phases as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina within the ‘Mujib Year’ under the Asrayan-2 Project in Rangpur division.
Officials said construction of 8,278 houses in the first phase will complete by January 15 next while construction of other 3,475 houses in the second phase continues.
The construction work of 11,753 ‘ka’ category houses cost a total of Taka 201 crore with Taka 1.71 lakh for each house, they said.
The houses will be handed over to homeless families marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman so that not a single family remains shelter-less within the ‘Mujib Year’.
“Selection of beneficiaries has been completed as per approved policy and guidelines to rehabilitate 8,278 landless and homeless families in the first phase soon,” Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana told BSS today.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to hand over keys and land registration documents of the new houses to 8,278 selected ‘ka’ category homeless families in the first phase through videoconferencing soon.
The upazila administrations are constructing each of the semi-pucca houses with corrugated iron sheets on roofs, two bedrooms, one kitchen, one hygienic sanitary latrine, one utility space and veranda.
“In the first phase, 799 new houses will be distributed in Rangpur, 846 in Gaibandha, 1,230 in Kurigram, 722 in Lalmonirhat, 637 in Nilphamari, 1,787 in Dinajpur, 649 in Thakurgaon and 608 in Panchagarh districts of Rangpur division,” Rana said.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said district level monitoring committees led by Deputy Commissioners are overseeing house construction to ensure quality of works.
The Asrayan-2 Project, one of the Prime Minister’s 10 special initiatives, aims at ensuring shelter for all people to improve their living standard and ensure health care and skill development on income generating activities.
“As per her commitment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will provide houses to all homeless families marking the ‘Mujib Year’ to help them rebuild life through comprehensive development,” Bhuiyan added.
Taraganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in Rangpur Md. Aminul Islam said 200 ‘ka’ category homeless families will get houses at Faridabad, Kursha Adarshogram, Sukan Dighee and Yuizial villages under Asrayan-2 Project in four unions of the upazila.
Construction of 130 houses will be completed by January 15 for 130 homeless beggars, widows, destitute day-labourers and other floating families in the first phase. Construction of the other 70 houses continues in the second phase.
“We have already selected 130 landless and homeless families and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to hand over keys and land registration documents to them through a videoconferencing soon,” the UNO said.
Talking to BSS, selected beneficiary Mai Begum, 65, a beggar of village Faridabad Khanbari in Soyar union of Taraganj upazila, said she led a wretched life since her father and mother, who were also beggars, died decades ago.
“I slept hither and thither after begging all day,” she said, adding that she is happy now knowing the news of getting a house from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina soon.
Another selected beneficiary Shudhir Chandra, 60, a farm-labourer of village Dakshin Damodarpur in the same union said he can’t work now in crop fields after undergoing surgery for heart ailments five years ago.
“I am going through hard days with my wife Dipali Rani, 45, daughters Chamtola, 12, and Sumitra, 9,” he said, adding that he will continue education of his daughters after getting a house from the premier.
Widow Zainab Begum, 60, a landless and homeless woman of Goddimari union in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat, said, “I am living in a house of others with my two daughters amid miseries.”
She forgot all sufferings instantly after knowing that a house has been allotted in her name from the Prime Minister’s Asrayan-2 Project.
Billal Hossain, 55, a day-labourer of Yogi Para village in Panchagarh Sadar upazila said, “I am leading a miserable life in a makeshift thatched house with my wife and children”.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is building houses for homeless people like me,” said Billah with a smiling face.
The selected beneficiaries prayed for a long life, sound health and continuous success of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in serving the nation to build a developed ‘Sonar Bangla’ and realise the dream of Bangabandhu.