Govt plans to widen social safety net

Bangladesh government is aiming to widen the social safety net further, aiming to include more of the marginalised and vulnerable population under protection.

The budget for fiscal 2019-20 proposes to allocate Tk 74,367 crore in this sector in the upcoming fiscal, up from Tk. 64,404 crore in the last fiscal.

The amount is 14.21 per cent of total budget and 2.58 percent of GDP in FY2019-20. The widening of the social safety net is planned as follows:

Increase the state honorarium for the valiant freedom fighters to Tk 12,000 from Tk 10,000.

Increasing the number of recipients of adult allowances from 40 lakh to 44 lakh, for widows and victims of domestic violence from 14 lakh to 17 lakh, and beneficiaries of allowances for all insolvent persons with disabilities from 10 lakh to 15.45 lakh.

Recipient of stipends for disabled students will be increased to 1 lakh from 90,000. Rate of the stipend would be increased from Tk 700 to Tk 750 for primary students, from Tk 750 to Tk 800 for secondary students, and from Tk 850 to Tk 900 for higher secondary students.

Number of beneficiaries of Third Gender Livelihood Development programmes are to be increased to 6,000. Additional 20,000 gypsies and disadvantaged communities to be added to the existing list of 64,000 persons.

Number of beneficiaries of the financial assistance programme for patients suffering from cancer, kidney, liver cirrhosis, paralyzed due to stroke and congenital heart diseases would be increased from 15,000 to 30,000.

Beneficiaries of maternity allowances for poor mothers would be increased from 7 lakh to 7 lakh 70 thousand and that of the lactating mothers’ assistance programmes would be increased to 2 lakh 75 thousand from 2 lakh 50 thousand.

Increasing the number of beneficiaries of livelihood development programmes for tea-garden workers from 40,000 to 50,000.

Source: thedailystar