The Department of Social Services (DSS) has sought an additional Tk 19.1 billion to cover the operational costs of the government's Family Card programme, a flagship initiative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and a key election pledge of the BNP.
This comes as the Ministry of Social Welfare has proposed revising an ongoing technical assistance project, increasing its cost to Tk 28.14 billion from the original Tk 9.04 billion, to meet the expenses of vehicle rentals and outsourced manpower for nationwide implementation of the programme.
The proposed revision will raise the cost of the project titled "Strengthening Social Protection for Improved Resilience, Inclusion and Targeting (SSPIRIT)" by 211.2 per cent, making the revised project size 3.11 times higher than the original allocation.
According to the proposal submitted to the Planning Commission and the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the SSPIRIT project in April 2025 with an estimated cost of Tk 9.04 billion.
Of the total allocation, Tk 41.72 million was financed from government funds, while Tk 9.0 billion was expected as a project loan from the World Bank.
The ministry said the revision was necessary to strengthen the implementation of the Family Card programme nationwide by deploying additional manpower through outsourcing and arranging vehicles for operational support.
Planning Commission officials say the government has allocated Tk 145 billion as a block allocation under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for FY27 in favour of the Ministry of Social Welfare to implement Family Card activities.
"The additional operational expenditure will be met from this block allocation," a senior ministry official says.
However, Planning Commission officials have questioned whether such a major increase in project cost is permissible under the government's guidelines for the formulation, processing, approval, and revision of development projects.
They say while technical assistance projects can be revised to accommodate additional requirements for vehicles and manpower, the guidelines recommend taking up a new project instead of revising an existing one if the cost escalation is substantial.
The proposal states that a "massive structural overhaul" is required to scale up the Family Card initiative nationwide.
The revised proposal includes provisions for outsourcing additional manpower and arranging logistical support, including vehicles, to manage expanded operations.
The original SSPIRIT project aimed to distribute Tk 5.89 billion in cash assistance among around 4.5 million poor people, while Tk 1.94 billion was allocated for consultancy services. Under the project, beneficiaries were expected to receive Tk 50,000 each in capital support after completing income-generating training, with special priority given to women, including widows, and those deserted by their husbands.
The project also included establishing a Dynamic Social Registry covering 13.5 million beneficiaries of four major social safety net programmes by verifying their National Identity (NID) numbers to prevent duplication and improve targeting.
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