Govt to launch donor-funded project to employ Sidr victims in six dists
Friday, 28 December 2007
Doulot Akter Mala
The government is going to launch a donor-funded project in January 2008 to employ helpless rural women in public asset maintenance and repairing jobs in six districts, three of which have been affected by cyclone Sidr.
Officials concerned said some 24,000 destitute women in 378 union parishads under 41 upazilas will be covered by the five-year (2008-2012) project styled 'Rural Employment Opportunities for Public Assets' to be implemented at a cost of Tk 1.73 billion.
Six districts -- Barguna, Satkhira, Feni, Narsingdi, Habiganj and Sirajganj -- have been brought under the employment-generating project during the period.
The project will be implemented through the elected representatives of the union parishads.
"Requests have come from the cyclone affected districts to do something for the helpless people. Now we have a project ready to create employment opportunities for the poorest rural women who are not covered by other social safety net programmes," said Akmal Hossain, the project director.
He said: "We hope to see a change in their condition, a graduation from extreme poverty, after two years and also a better-performing union parishad through this project."
Hossain said the project relates to earth works, repairing of roads and establishments and occasional maintenance as required.
The project will start from January 2008 once the United Nations Development Programme completes by December 31 the procurement for the project, which includes appointment of non-government organisations to train women and provide them with necessary equipment.
The European Commission (EC) has provided the entire amount as grant for launching the project, which was designed as a follow-up project of the Rural Maintenance Project of the 1980s.
However, female members of the union parishad will play a key role in selecting the beneficiaries of the project.
Each woman will get Tk 70 a day and of the amount, she will have to keep Tk 20 into a savings account for running income generating activities on completion of her two-year cycle, according to a brief of the project.
The government is going to launch a donor-funded project in January 2008 to employ helpless rural women in public asset maintenance and repairing jobs in six districts, three of which have been affected by cyclone Sidr.
Officials concerned said some 24,000 destitute women in 378 union parishads under 41 upazilas will be covered by the five-year (2008-2012) project styled 'Rural Employment Opportunities for Public Assets' to be implemented at a cost of Tk 1.73 billion.
Six districts -- Barguna, Satkhira, Feni, Narsingdi, Habiganj and Sirajganj -- have been brought under the employment-generating project during the period.
The project will be implemented through the elected representatives of the union parishads.
"Requests have come from the cyclone affected districts to do something for the helpless people. Now we have a project ready to create employment opportunities for the poorest rural women who are not covered by other social safety net programmes," said Akmal Hossain, the project director.
He said: "We hope to see a change in their condition, a graduation from extreme poverty, after two years and also a better-performing union parishad through this project."
Hossain said the project relates to earth works, repairing of roads and establishments and occasional maintenance as required.
The project will start from January 2008 once the United Nations Development Programme completes by December 31 the procurement for the project, which includes appointment of non-government organisations to train women and provide them with necessary equipment.
The European Commission (EC) has provided the entire amount as grant for launching the project, which was designed as a follow-up project of the Rural Maintenance Project of the 1980s.
However, female members of the union parishad will play a key role in selecting the beneficiaries of the project.
Each woman will get Tk 70 a day and of the amount, she will have to keep Tk 20 into a savings account for running income generating activities on completion of her two-year cycle, according to a brief of the project.