Poor people's allowances must not be hindered

The assistance that the government is providing to the distressed and helpless under the social safety net programme is certainly appreciated by all. However, list of beneficiaries is questionable. There are allegations of the allowances being provided to affluent people instead of the actually destitute persons. The beneficiaries the elderly, widows and distressed women and the disabled.

According to the Ministry of Finance, there are 123 social security programmes including seven new ones under various ministries in the 2020-21 fiscal that have allocations of Tk 955.74 billion. But the news published in Prothom Alo on Saturday about the distribution of the allowance held up due to digitalisation process, is very worrying.

The Department of Social Services says it has decided to provide allowances through Mobile Financial Services (MFS) under the G2P (Government to Person) system. The programme, which started in 1997-98, was conducted through various state-owned banks. Certain dishonest quarters used to steal part of the allocation in the name of withdrawing the money on behalf of the beneficiaries.

According to Prothom Alo, a database of beneficiaries is being created using Management Information System (MIS) software to deliver allowances electronically through G2P. Mobile banking accounts are being opened across the country through national identity cards through mobile money transfer service providers bKash and Nagad. All the information of the account holders will be in the form of database in MIS.

According to the Department of Social Services, in the current financial year, about 7.6 million beneficiaries will be given allowances through mobile financial services. From February to 5 April this year, about 4.5 million mobile banking or digital accounts have been created for the beneficiaries included in MIS.

In 495 upazilas and metropolitan and district towns, the allowance was disbursed through 60 Urban Community Development (UCD) units under the Department of Social Services. As it is a digitalized account, any of the beneficiaries can withdraw the allowance through bKash and Nagad agents from anywhere.

We have no question about these initiatives of the government. It is expected that any social assistance programme will be run smoothly and the real destitute and helpless people will get the benefit of it. However, those concerned should keep in mind that these beneficiaries are so miserable and helpless that it is difficult for them to make a living without a month's allowance. In this situation, if the allowance is stuck for six months, their life is bound to become more miserable.

An official said that if the digitisation work is completed 85 to 90 per cent before Eid-ul-Fitr, the beneficiaries will get their allowance including the dues before Eid. For six months, they have deprived the destitute and helpless people in the name of digitalisation, that too during the corona period, when the income of marginalised people has further declined. Digitisation or any other excuse cannot stop paying allowances.

Hopefully, all the allowances of the beneficiaries including the dues will be paid soon.