Anomalies slow down cash distribution programme of govt

The distribution of one-time cash support of Tk 2,500 among 50 lakh jobless workers during COVID-19 outbreak has slowed down after detection of nearly 5 lakh fake entries in the list of beneficiaries and other irregularities, said officials.

The finance ministry had disbursed the package for about 16.16 lakh beneficiaries before it detected 4.93 lakh fake aid-seekers in the cash assistance programme list by the first week of July.

But since then the distribution process has slowed down due to the scrutiny process launched by the finance ministry.

In last one month, only 3.5 lakh more beneficiaries have been added to the list under the programme announced by prime minister Sheikh Hasina on May 14 with an allocation of Tk 1,250 crore.

Habibur Rahman, additional secretary of finance division, said that they were going to distribute cash support to another 15 lakh beneficiaries before the forthcoming Eid festival.

With that the number of overall beneficiaries would stand at 35 lakh, still 15 lakh short that of the targeted 50 lakh jobless.

Economists had welcomed the government move to provide cash assistance to the people who became jobless amid the shutdown enforced by the government since Match 26 to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.

But they warned that irregularities in identification process would mar the ultimate targets of helping the targeted poor and revive the demand of goods and services affected badly due to the shutdown.

The finance division officials feared that the continuation of the cash assistance programme was unlikely after the Eid festival.

The division has given objection to 22.86 lakh entries because of anomalies with the mobile numbers and national identity card numbers.

It asked the ministry of disaster management and relief, and ICT Division assigned to prepare the list to find out the flaws and to correct the lists.

Disaster management and relief ministry secretary Md Mohsin said that the ministry had compiled the list with the help of fieldlevel officers.

As the ministry has a little role in the duplication and other anomalies detected by the ministry of finance, he said that they sent the list of 22.86 lakh entries to the fieldlevel officers.

He also said that they would send the corrected lists to the finance ministry once they would be provided with a fresh list by the field administration.

Transparency International Bangladesh in a report released in July detected partisan political considerations in preparing the lists of beneficiaries for distributing relief in 82 per cent of the selected areas amid COVID-19 crisis.

ICT division secretary NM Zeaul Alam said that the finance ministry did not give them any database which the ICT division could use to find out anomalies or mistakes.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net