Clicky
National, Back Page

Govt to make rural women economically self-reliant

Tk 346.55cr allocated for rural women’s development


Published : 07 Sep 2021 09:50 PM | Updated : 08 Sep 2021 12:42 AM

The government has recently allocated a fund of Taka 346.55 crore for implementation of second phase of ‘Samannita Palli Karmasangsthan Sahayata Prakalpa’ to increase participation of rural women in income generating activities.  

A savings fund of Taka 3,000 per head for the woman beneficiaries and Taka 5,000 for the school-going girls will be created by 2025, said an official of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives. 

“The project (Samannita Palli Karmasangsthan Sahayata Prakalpa) has been taken for the betterment of poverty-hit women of different regions of the country and this project is being expanded in such a way so that women can take decision for making them self-reliant economically” said the official.

“If this programme is executed it will be possible to raise the per capita annual income of the women beneficiaries. Every woman will get training and loan of Taka 10,000 on an average by June 2025,” he further said.

While talking about the project, S M Masudur Rahman, Director (planning) of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) said, “The first phase of the scheme was evaluated by the division concerned.”

“Recommendations were made to extend it to the second phase,” he added.

Sources said after the formation of the government in 1996, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Jashore in 1997 and said that she was undertaking a special initiative for empowering women and their development, creating employment for them in the region.

As part of the initiative, a project was implemented in 21 upazilas in four districts of greater Jashore and its tenure was from July 1998 to June 2003.

Later, the first phase of the scheme was executed in 59 upazilas of Khulna and Barishal divisions from 2012 to 2018 at a cost of Taka 156.88 crore. In its continuation, a proposal was made to implement the second phase.

Md Rashid Uddin, Project Director of the first phase said, “A scope for employment has been created for the rural women through implementing the first phase and many have been able to come out of the vicious circle of poverty.”

“A proposal was made for the second phase of the project on the basis of the success of its first phase,” he added.

The BRDB will implement the second phase in 472 unions under 59 upazilas in 17 districts of Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Rangpur divisions.

Planning Commission’s Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Organisation Division member Zakir Hossain Akand has been given responsibility to oversee the project.

He said if the scheme is implemented successfully massive socioeconomic development including poverty alleviation will take place among different communities in four divisions.