The beneficiary selection process of the government's Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest (EGPP) was found questionable, a study has revealed.
According to it, the formation of selection committee was sometimes politically biased, that resulted in wrong targeting of beneficiaries.
Despite the dispute, the EGPP proved effective means for ensuring economic solvency, creating health awareness, ensuring alternative source of income and increasing self-reliance, the study added.
The paper titled 'Implication of Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest (EGPP) to reduce disaster and gender vulnerability', was presented at a technical session of 'BIDS Research Almanac 2018' at a city hotel.
Organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), the two-day conference concluded on Monday.
The session titled 'Urbanisation, disaster vulnerability and social safety nets' was moderated by Professor Dr A T M Nurul Amin, Chairman of Economics and Social Sciences Department, BRAC University.
Two Associate Professors of Economics at Dhaka University Dr Syed Naimul Wadood and Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha attended the session as discussants.
BIDS Research Fellow Dr S M Zahedul Islam Chowdhury presented the paper on EGPP on behalf of the research team.
According to the paper, the EGPP has been proved effective in enabling the beneficiaries to improve their socio-economic conditions to a large extent.
The females were found to be benefitted disproportionately more than the male counterparts.
However, the paper said: "Findings from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data reveal that EGPP is not very well targeted".
The study presented a set of recommendations including revision of beneficiary list and raising the wage rate to make the EGPP more purposeful. It also suggested increasing the number of beneficiaries by at least 50 per cent and organising open meeting before finalising the list.
Department of Disaster Management implements the EGPP under its social safety net programmes. It aims to provide short-term employment to the extreme poor in lean seasons over two cycles (March-May and October-December).
Another study titled 'An evaluation of the activities of Grihayan Tahobil (Housing Fund), was presented by BIDS Research Fellow M Harunur Rashid Bhuyan at the working session.
The paper suggested raising the number of field supervisory staff and budget allocation for closer monitoring on the use of housing fund.
It also recommended raising the loan amount to tk 0.1 million along with extension of repayment period to 15 years.
Housing fund loan programme may be continued on a regular basis to ensure affordable housing for the poorer segment of the society.
The programme, brainchild of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was initiated in fiscal year (FY) 1997-98 with initial allocation of tk 500 million. The fund aims to alleviate the severe housing crisis of homeless, poor and low-income brackets of people.
According to the study findings, about 93 per cent of the programme beneficiaries of the households have experienced an upward change in social status during the last five years.
Interestingly, all of the respondents said their new houses contributed to accomplishing marriage of their girls.
Two other papers on 'Organic solid waste management and the urban poor in Dhaka city', and on 'Disaster impacts: Are these an equal opportunity menace' were also presented at the session.
saif.febd@gmail.com