RCC implements poverty alleviation project in urban slum area

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RAJSHAHI, Sept 21 (BSS): The Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has been implementing a poverty alleviation programme in its slum areas since 2001 successfully.
The six-year "Local Partnership for Urban Poverty Alleviation Project (LPUPAP)" is being executed aimed at lifting up the hardcore poor people, particularly the women from the vicious cycle of poverty through empowering them.
With financial assistance from UNDP, RCC has been implementing the programme by spending around Tk 98.7 million (9.87 crore) that commenced in 2001.
LPUPAP Field Coordinator Nazrul Islam told the news agency here Friday that a total of 862 primary groups from 83 slum communities have so far been constituted covering a total of 20,494 households with 88,478 population. Most of them are female.
Under different welfare-based components, various activities on mass-awareness meetings relating to habitat problems and their solutions, formation of committee and groups, preparation of action plan and registration of the committee are being conducted with a view to mobilise and organise them.
Apart from this, community workshops and training are being arranged on managing money, materials and labour, technical assistance and supervision for construction of infrastructure and other community facilities properly.
Awareness is also being built on access to legal clinics and aid and counselling service among the urban poor especially for the targeted women along with hygienic education, social development, adolescent blooming, community managed waste collection and agriculture activities.
The beneficiaries have so far collected savings of about Tk 16.7 million by themselves and from which they disbursed loan of Tk 50.6 million as revolving fund among only the community members for creating self-employment facilities on service-charge basis.
They also recovered loan of Tk 37.4 million and realised service charge worth over Tk 5.7 million till July last.
The project disbursed grants of Tk 85.3 million among the targeted groups, by which, the beneficiary groups have constructed 624 hand tube wells, 6232 latrines, 36237-metre footpath, 6289-metre drains, 38 street-lights and three community centres for enjoying civic facilities, especially pure-drinking water supply, sanitation and hygienic atmosphere.