State Minister for Social Welfare Nuruzzaman Ahmed yesterday said 51.20 lakh beneficiaries, including physically challenged persons, have been brought under social safety net and food security programmes in 2016-17 fiscal year, reports BSS.

"The Ministry of Social Welfare has undertaken various programmes for ensuring social safety and food security for 51.20 lakh people across the country in 2016-17 fiscal year," he said while replying to a starred question from treasury bench member A K M Jahangir Hossain of Patuakhali-3 in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The state minister said the programmes included old-aged allowance, allowances for widow and women tortured by their husbands, insolvent disabled allowance and stipend for physically challenged students.

In 2016-17, some 31,50,000 people have got old-aged allowance, 11,50,000 got widow allowance, 7,50,000 people got insolvent disabled allowance and 70,000 physically disabled students were awarded education stipend.