DHAKA, June 14, 2022 (BSS) – Lawmakers today said the ruling Awami League is working to fulfil the hope and aspirations of the common people by introducing cash transfer facilities for the disadvantaged people even giving a historical announcement of launching pension for the age old people in the proposed budget.
 
Taking part in the general discussion on the proposed budget for 2022-23 fiscal in the Jatiya Sangsad, the lawmakers said no other governments except the ruling Awami League thought for the welfare of the common people.
 
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 9 in the Jatiya Sangsad unveiled a Taka 6,78,064 crore national budget for 2022-23 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 7.5 percent amid the economic fallout due to the novel corona virus pandemic and ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
 
“The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has introduced strengthen safety net programmes along with adopting different types of allowance like old age allowance, allowance for widow, deserted and destitute women, allowance for physical and intellectually impaired people,”said ruling party lawmaker Saifuzzaman of Magura-1.  
 
Even, Sheikh Hasina has also declared to introduce ‘pension’ aiming to bring age-old people  over 65-year under the scheme in the proposed budget, he told the parliament.
 
Participating in the discussion, Mostafizur Rahman of Dinajpur-5 said “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to make Bangladesh a welfare state.”
 
Criticizing the role of  BNP, another ruling party leader Ramesh Chandra Sen of Thakurgaon-1 said country’s overall food deficit during the BNP-Jammat regime was 23 lakh tonnes while the country become food surplus due to appropriate steps taken by the ruling Awami League.
 
Criticizing the proposed budget, Jatiya Party lawmaker Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary of Gaibandha-3 said the proposed budget will incur pressure on the lower income people.
 
Terming the budget as total development deficit budget,the  opposition lawmaker said Taka 2,46,000 crore has been earmarked under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the proposed budget while budget deficit is Taka 2,43,000 crore.  
 
Treasury bench members, Habib-E MIllat  of Sirajganj-2, Aroma Dutta of women reserved seat-11, Iqbal Hossen of Gazipur-3, Mozaffar Hossain of Jamalpur-5, Abdus Sobhan Mia of Madaripur-3, Jahidur Rahman of Thakurgaon-3, Saber Hossain Chowdhury of Dhaka-9, Anwarul Abedin Khan of Mymensingh-9, Nazimuddin Ahmed of Mymensingh-3, Amirul Alam Milon of Bagerhat-4 and Shafiqul Islam Shimul of Natore-2,  took part in the discussion.
 
Earlier, they paid their cordial tribute to the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyred freedom fighters and also those who made their utmost sacrifices during the War of Liberation and all subsequent democratic movements in the country.