People losing purchase power: state minister for relief

State minister for disaster management Md Enamur Rahaman said that the number of eligible people for getting relief was increasing as an estimated one per cent people were losing purchasing capacity every week for the prolonged nationwide public holiday.

As a result, he said, the initial plan of providing relief to an estimated 1.5 crore people for keeping them at home during the holiday stood at over 4.5 crore in past 25 days.

‘Now we think an estimated five crore people will need relief as everyday a significant number of the people are losing savings because of their joblessness or not having earning sources, Enamur said adding that the estimation was made collecting information from different sources.

On March 23, the government declared holiday for keeping people at home for containing the spread of novel coronavirus with effect from March 26 and extended it further till April 25.

During the period, many day labourers, informal sector workers, office employees and people belonging to other professions or engaged with different business claimed that they became jobless or did not get salary for March.

Many of them even claimed of not getting any relief or other government support for maintaining families.

‘We also saw in media that people claimed of not getting any relief though we prepared a list 84,20,483 eligible families covering 3,67,16,664 people as sent by the deputy commissioners of 64 districts and disbursed 94,464 tonnes of rice, and distributed about Tk 39.4 crore for purchasing other essentials and gave additional Tk 7.94 crore for purchasing children food till Monday,’ Enamur said.

Enamur said that the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, expressed concern over the situation on Saturday and instructed disaster management ministry and information and communication technology division for preparing a database of eligible people and provide them food going to homes.

‘The software development for the database is under process and database would be prepared by union digital centres and ward digital centres areas visiting their respective areas,’ Enamur said.

‘Having national identity card, a mobile number or birth certificate is not mandatory for their inclusion in list as prime minister wants every people to get food,’ he said.

He also said that local government body representatives would serve food to the people be they live in a slum or a flat.

‘We know that residents of some flats are also facing troubles to purchase food,’ Enamur said. 

He said that the ministry would distribute relief materials including rice, lentil, potato, onion, edible oil and soap on monthly basis through the deputy commissioners to the local government bodies.

Those who would have VGF or VGT cards as provided by the food ministry for providing rice would not get the disaster management ministry provided 20kg rice per month.

‘They will get other relief materials only,’ Enamur said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net