The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Gaibandhak

An elaborate programme has been taken up for the ultra poor pregnant and child bearing mothers by the Directorate of Women Affairs in all the seven upazilas in the district during the current financial year.

The aim of the programme is to reduce the mortality rate of pregnant mothers, increase the rate of breast feeding, ante-natal and post-natal care and feeding of nutritious food to pregnant mothers.

Increase the rate of EPI and family planning adoption, encouragement of birth control, prevention of the dowry, divorce and early marriage and the motivation of marriage registration were also the objectives of the programme, sources said.

Under this programme a total of 1230 poor pregnant and child-bearing mothers have been selected from 82 unions in the district and they are being given Tk. 300/- per month each. Each of the beneficiaries will get the allowance for two years, sources said.

As many as 105 beneficiaries of the seven unions of Gobindagonj Upazila have been given allowance on Tuesday in a simple function, each of them got Tk. 1800/- from July to December of last year.

The rest of the beneficiaries will get their allowance within a month, said Most. Mahumuda Khatun, District Women Affairs Officer, the people from the all walks of life highly appreciated the maternity allowance distribution programme for the pregnant mothers.