Cash support for 21,000 under VGD

FE Report

The Women and Children Affairs Ministry will provide 21,000 of the existing beneficiaries of the vulnerable group development (VGD) programme with Tk 15,000 each and other support to help them get out of the vicious poverty trap.

They will also get livelihood training and 30 kg pushti (nutrient) rice every month. The rice will contain three vitamins and three minerals.

State minister for women and children affairs Meher Afroz Chumki inaugurated the programme Friday at Belkuchi of Sirajganj through digital cash transfer with the help of Bank Asia.  

It will be implemented jointly by the government and World Food Programme (WFP) in 21 upazilas primarily.

The extreme poor women will get the allowance once, by which they will increase their income.

At present the ministry provides 30 kg rice to 750,000 extreme poor women under the VGD programme for two years. New beneficiaries are selected after every two years of the programme.

The programme review finds that these poor women did not get out of poverty despite being under the VGD programme for two years. So the new initiative has been taken.

The new initiative will be primarily implemented in 21 Upazilas for one year and then be expanded across the country.

Sirajganj deputy commissioner Bilal Hossain chaired the inauguration programme while director general of Women Affairs Directorate Shahin Ahmed Chowdhury, additional secretary Bikash Kishore Das, WFP representative Christina Rader were also present, among others, on the occasion.  

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