The number of old age allowance beneficiaries has been proposed to be raised from 2.73 million to three million in the budget for the FY2015-16.
In addition, the government proposed to increase the number of beneficiaries of the widow, abandoned and destitute women allowance from 1.012 million to 1.13 million, and the number of beneficiaries for the insolvent disabled persons allowance is to be raised from 400,000 to 600,000.
“We have made substantial progress in poverty alleviation. But despite our efforts, a considerable portion of our population is still living below the poverty line,” Finance Minister AMA Muhith said during his budget speech at Jatiya Sangsad yesterday.
“In order to fully eradicate poverty from the country, we will ensure rational and target-oriented expansion of social safety net programmes.”
The proposed budget also suggested increasing the number of disabled students receiving stipends from 50,000 to 60,000; the amount of the stipend is to increase as well. The number of beneficiaries for maternity allowance for poor mothers as well as the working lactating mother assistance fund will also be increased by 20%.
Regarding this, the government is formulating a Social Safety Net Strategy Paper and going to implement a project titled Strengthening Public Financial Management for Social Protection shortly to increase the effectiveness and accountability of the social safety net programmes.
Under the project, a Social Protection Unit will be established in the Finance Division to widen the coverage of social safety net.
Regarding the improvement of the state of disadvantaged people including the disabled, the finance minister also said the government has taken up a plan to provide identity cards to all disabled persons by using the national disability database.
The government is also working to revise the existing development programmes and has taken up new initiatives by taking the nature of disability into account, the minister further said, adding that the process of reforming the existing laws and rules in this regard is underway.