Urban poor people need special allocation in RCC\\\'s budget

RAJSHAHI, May 23 (BSS):  Poor and extreme poor people in the city need special allocation from the forthcoming annual budget of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC).

This is necessary for improving their living and livelihood condition, speakers at a discussion said here Saturday.

They viewed the underprivileged and distressed people, especially in the slum areas, suffer a lot from various civic problems like sanitation, safe drinking water, housing, primary education and food security.

So, the RCC should take the responsibility of elevating them instead of depending upon the foreign aided projects.

The observations came at a participatory workshop titled "Pre-budget Consultation for Increasing Pro-poor Allocation in 2015-16 Budget" held at the city bhaban conference hall.  Community Development Committee Federation and Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP) of RCC jointly organised the workshop in association with UNDP and UKaid and UNHabitat.

Superintending engineer of LGED Ali Ahmed addressed the workshop as resource person with Ajahar Ali, chief executive officer of RCC, in the chair. Ward councilors Mustaque Hossain Ratan, Abdul Hamid Sarker and Kamruzzaman and UPPRP town member-secretary Engineer Nur Islam also spoke. Town Manager Mahbubul Alam moderated the discussion.

The access to improved water sources will make the lives of community members healthier while the constructed toilets and bathing facilities will lead to improved hygiene practices and the footpaths improve settlements' accessibility and mobility.

Taking part in the open discussion, most of the ward councilors and others concerned put forward a set of recommendations towards upholding the success with RCC interventions.