Almost all extreme poor with disabilities to be brought under social safety net
The plan will result in the inclusion of 3.34 lakh new individuals under the social safety net programme, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The government is planning to bring almost all indigent persons with disabilities under the social safety net from the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25).
The plan will result in the inclusion of 3.34 lakh new individuals under the social safety net programme, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The total number of beneficiaries under the programme is currently 29 lakh.
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According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), there are a total of 46 lakh people with disabilities living in the country.
Finance officials said people with disabilities who earn a maximum of Tk36,000 a year, have been identified as indigent.
All people with disabilities above the age of six who fall under the aforementioned category will be eligible for the allowance, they said.
In the ongoing fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24), the government is paying Tk850 a month to 29 lakh indigent people with disabilities, resulting in an expenditure of Tk2,900 crore.
In the upcoming fiscal, the allocation for the allowances has been upped by Tk343 crore.
Besides, the number of beneficiaries of government allowances under mothers and children, hijras, bede people and disadvantaged communities is also set to rise in the upcoming fiscal year.
Finance Division officials said 14,000 new beneficiaries will enjoy the allowances provided to hijra, bede and backward communities in FY25.
Currently, the number of beneficiaries is one lakh.
At present, members of hijra communities get Tk650 per month, bedes get Tk550 and backward community beneficiaries get Tk500 per month from the government.
Also, sources said 51,000 new beneficiaries will be added under the "Mother and Child Benefit Programme" in the next fiscal year's budget, which will take the total number of beneficiaries under the programme to 13.55 lakh.
An additional Tk332 crore will be spent under the programme.
In the current fiscal year, the beneficiaries of this scheme get an allowance of Tk800 per month.
Besides, the number of beneficiaries for the allowances provided to the elderly, widow and husband-deserted women is increasing from 2 lakh to 4 lakh.
In the upcoming fiscal year, the beneficiaries of old age allowance will increase to 60 lakh and the beneficiaries of widow allowance will be 27.75 lakh.
This will increase the total expenditure of the government in these two programmes by about Tk300 crore.
