The New Nation - Internet Edition

Talha Bin Habib

Bureaucratic tangles, shortages of manpower and inflexibility in detecting the genuine target groups were the major stumbling block for the full implementation of the Social Safety Net Programmes during the current fiscal year.

The proposed budget has set aside Tk 169.32 billion to bring more poor and vulnerable people under this programme. The amount is 48 percent higher than the revised allocation of Tk 114.67 billion in FY08.

The cash incentives programmes for the next fiscal will include widowed and deserted women, destitute children, orphanages, insolvent freedom fighters, elderly and disabled people.

But most of the cash incentives programmes under social safety net in the current fiscal have remained half done although only a couple of days are left of the current fiscal.

Experts said that strict monitoring of the distribution of allocated funds among the target groups would guarantee the full implementation of Social Safety Net Programmes.

The insolvent freedom fighters were deprived of the full benefits of this programme during the on-going fiscal, sources said.

Tk 99 crore 50 lakh was allocated for the current fiscal for distribution among one lakh freedom fighters at the rate of Tk 600 per month each. But so far only Tk 33 crore and 40 lakh has been distributed.

For the poor students, Tk 52 crore and 80 lakh was allocated under the finance and stipend programmes. But only Tk 34 crore and 65 lakh has been distributed among 1 lakh and 75 thousand students.

Tk 10 crore was earmarked for 6000 thousand acid burnt women. But only Tk 4 core and 48 lakh has been distributed among 5000 women.

Under the Old Age Allowance Programme, Tk 448 crore 80 lakh was reserved but, only Tk 331 crore and 17 lakh has so far been distributed among them at the rate of Tk 220 per head per month.

Tk 20.00 billion will be spent in the next fiscal under the new programme titled '100 Days Employment Generation' for two million unemployed people.

Besides, a new project titled 'Rural Employment and Road Maintenance Programme' (RERMP) will be implemented next year at a cost of Tk 9.43 billion. It is expected to generate 80 thousand jobs in 4926 unions.

The next fiscal budget proposed a further allocation of Tk 15.78 billion for the Freedom Fighters Welfare (FFW) programmes, which will create more jobs for them.

The programme for distribution of 30 kg rice/ wheat per head for 750 thousand women under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) will continue.

This programme will be extended to provide a monthly allowance of Tk 400 per head of an additional 40 thousand women of eight northern districts.

Rate of allowance for widowed, deserted and destitute women has been increased from Tk 220 crore to Tk 250 crore and the number of beneficiaries have been raised from 825 thousand to 900 thousand.

The subsistence allowance for children and orphanage has been enhanced and the allocation for stipend programme for the disabled students will be increased to Tk 6 crore from Tk 5 crore.