The interim government is facing challenges in selecting the genuine beneficiaries under the social safety net programme. The Department of Social Services is struggling to finalise the list of actual beneficiaries, as many public representatives at the field level are absent. Since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August due to a student-led mass uprising, many elected representatives have gone into hiding.
As a result, the new list has not been finalised, and allowances for the first quarter (July-September) of the current 2024-25 financial year have not been disbursed.
Typically, 12.1 million beneficiaries receive their allowances by the first week of October, but this time, no one has received any funds. According to the Department of Social Services, Tk 95.65 billion has been allocated for beneficiaries in the current budget.
The policy for determining the beneficiary list states that committees at the union, pourashava, upazila, district, and city corporation levels are responsible for implementing each allowance programme, with a public representative serving as the president of each committee.
If a union parishad lacks a committee, the upazila social service officer is designated as president. However, many people are unaware of this information, contributing to delays in compiling the list of beneficiaries. Additionally, eight districts currently do not have a Deputy Commissioner (DC), further complicating the preparation of beneficiary lists.
Golap Uddin, 68, from Khamar Boali village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila, has been receiving old age allowances for three years. He mentioned that he usually receives Tk 1,800 every three months, but the funds often arrive inconsistently, sometimes in the first week of the month and other times in the middle. As of 15 October, he has not received any money.
Due to the delayed allowances, many people believe that the interim government has halted payments to beneficiaries. However, the Department of Social Services has stated that reports of a suspension of allowances are unfounded. They assure that the first quarter allowances will be released as soon as the list of beneficiaries is finalized, with payments expected by November.
It has long been alleged that there are irregularities in the compiling of beneficiaries for social safety programmes. Well-off individuals have reportedly been included on the list, while eligible beneficiaries are being overlooked.
After the caretaker government took over on 8 August, it was decided to exclude well-to-do individuals and include genuine beneficiaries under the social safety programme. As part of this effort, authorities have been tasked with verifying the eligibility of those currently on the beneficiary list.
When asked about the situation, Jewel Parvez, Secretary of Chandrapur Union Parishad in Shariatpur Sadar, told Prothom Alo that this year's installments have not yet been disbursed to beneficiaries. The list has been under review since July, and while the list for his union has been completed, the chairman has been absent since that time. The panel chairman and members have managed to finalise the selection process together.
According to sources in the Department of Social Services, this year, 6 million senior citizens are set to receive allowances of Tk 600 per month, with a total budget allocation of Tk 43.5 billion. Approximately 2.8 million widows will receive an allowance of Tk 550 per month, with Tk 18.44 billion allocated for this purpose. Additionally, 3.2 million poor disabled individuals are eligible for Tk 850 per month, with a budget allocation of Tk 33.21 billion.
The Hijra community will receive special allowances for 1.3 million individuals, with a monthly allowance of Tk 600, and an allocation of Tk 90 million for this year.
The Bede community will have 6,000 members receiving allowances of Tk 500 per month, with Tk 3.5 million allocated. Furthermore, 60,000 individuals from backward communities will receive special allowances of Tk 500 per month, with a total allocation of Tk 360 million. Generally, allowances are disbursed to beneficiaries every three months.
According to a UNICEF survey, 43 per cent of beneficiary lists under social safety programmes contain errors, indicating that many listed individuals are not eligible for the allowance. Solvent individuals have been found included on these lists. A similar pattern was observed in a study conducted by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a non-governmental research institution. Their research reveals that about 30 per cent of elderly beneficiaries and approximately 33 per cent of widow beneficiaries are ineligible for the allowance.
The Department of Social Services has stated that the highest levels of irregularity are found among the lists of widows and disabled persons. Allegations suggest that these irregularities are facilitated by local public representatives. Many widows have reportedly remarried, and individuals who are not actually disabled have also made it onto the list.
In response to these issues, the Interim Government has initiated a review of the beneficiary list to ensure transparency. However, finalising the list requires coordination among several government ministries and departments, including the Election Commission, Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Computer Council, and the Ministry of Finance, which adds to the delay.
Abu Saleh Mustafa Kamal, the Director General of the Department of Social Services, told Prothom Alo that a transparent list of beneficiaries is being prepared. The process is taking longer than usual due to the absence of Deputy Commissioners and public representatives at the field level. As a result, there has been a slight delay in disbursing the first-quarter allowances.
He emphasised that rumours suggesting the allowance has been stopped are completely unfounded. The list is expected to be finalised by the first week of November, after which the allowances will be distributed.
[Gaibandha and Shariatpur correspondents helped filing this report]