Social safety net crucially important

There are allegations of malpractices in including the distressed persons in the list for receiving old age allowance

The speakers at a workshop titled “Inception and Progress of Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGD) Programme” in Rajshahi observed that the present government has attached priority to social safety net programmes for successful implementation of those. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the safety net programmes were furthermore expanded to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A question arises, how much social safety does a person enjoy in the country? A poor person burdened with age becomes an object of pity to the members of his own family, society and the state.

Poverty is a great impediment to social safety. A person with a marriageable aged daughter and no money to marry her off suffers from social safety. In many cases, old men and women finding no other alternative take shelter in old people’s homes for survival. Even their own children do not care to look after them. There are examples galore. The government has introduced old age allowances for the old and impoverished people. But the amount is a pittance? In these days of high prices of essential commodities what this little amount can purchase for a person? Isn’t it like a mockery?

A person needs food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Can the allowance meet even a small fraction of the needs? The allowance should be reasonable for an old and helpless person per month. The people enjoying pensions after retirement from service also confront many problems. Those should also be solved. The government is spending a huge amount of money every year in various sectors. All these sectors are not productive. There are also incidents of gross misuse of public money.  

There are also allegations of malpractices in including the distressed persons in the list for receiving old age allowance. Really deserving ones should be the recipients. Political manipulation must be kept out of the scheme for justice and fair play. The government and all stakeholders should come forward to implement the social safety net programmes in an effective way.

The safety net programmes can also play a major role in eradicating poverty by ensuring its proper planning, effective implementing policy, proper coordination and transparency and accountability. There is no alternative to coming out from the existing weakness relating to project and beneficiary scrutiny in order to protect the interests of the underprivileged section of the society.

Mere utterance of platitudes will not do, what is needed is concrete action.

Social safety net crucially important

There are allegations of malpractices in including the distressed persons in the list for receiving old age allowance

The speakers at a workshop titled Inception and Progress of Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGD) Programme in Rajshahi observed that the present government has attached priority to social safety net programmes for successful implementation of those. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the safety net programmes were furthermore expanded to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A question arises, how much social safety does a person enjoy in the country? A poor person burdened with age becomes an object of pity to the members of his own family, society and the state. Poverty is a great impediment to social safety. A person with a marriageable aged daughter and no money to marry her off suffers from social safety. In many cases, old men and women finding no other alternative take shelter in old peoples homes for survival. Even their own children do not care to look after them. There are examples galore. The government has introduced old age allowances for the old and impoverished people. But the amount is a pittance? In these days of high prices of essential commodities what this little amount can purchase for a person? Isnt it like a mockery? A person needs food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Can the allowance meet even a small fraction of the needs? The allowance should be reasonable for an old and helpless person per month. The people enjoying pensions after retirement from service also confront many problems. Those should also be solved. The government is spending a huge amount of money every year in various sectors. All these sectors are not productive. There are also incidents of gross misuse of public money. There are also allegations of malpractices in including the distressed persons in the list for receiving old age allowance. Really deserving ones should be the recipients. Political manipulation must be kept out of the scheme for justice and fair play. The government and all stakeholders should come forward to implement the social safety net programmes in an effective way. The safety net programmes can also play a major role in eradicating poverty by ensuring its proper planning, effective implementing policy, proper coordination and transparency and accountability. There is no alternative to coming out from the existing weakness relating to project and beneficiary scrutiny in order to protect the interests of the underprivileged section of the society. Mere utterance of platitudes will not do, what is needed is concrete action.