Number of socially beneficed people increasing in budget for 2015-16 fiscal year

The number of elders, widows and disabled to be benefitted will increase in the budget for 2015-16 fiscal year.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith presented the proposal in Parliament on Thursday.
 
He proposed to raise the number of elders, who get allowance, from over 2.7 million to three million, and widows, abandoned and destitute women getting similar benefits from one million to 1.11 million.
 
He also proposed to raise the number of poor disabled getting allowances from 400,000 to 600,000, and the number of disabled students getting stipends from 50,000 to 60,000. The rate of stipends would also be raised, he said.
 
Muhith said the number of women getting maternity allowances and lactating allowances would be raised by 20 percent
 
“We have made substantial progress in poverty alleviation. But despite our efforts, a considerable portion of our population is still living below the poverty line. 
 
“In order to fully eradicate poverty from the country, we will ensure rational and target oriented expansion of social safety net programmes,” the finance minister said.
 
A social safety net strategy paper would be formulated and a project titled ‘Strengthening Public Financial Management for Social Protection’ would be implemented to increase the effectiveness and accountability of the social safety net programmes, he said. 

He also said a social protection unit would be set up under the Finance Division.