Editorial
Employment programme on emergency basis
Creating purchasing power among ultra-poor crucial
There are 75 lakh ultra poor households in the country. Of these, 50 lakh are covered by some kind of social safety net including VGF programme. If the remainder 25 lakh families are serviced by a new programme, their hardship in these days of skyrocketing prices will be somewhat alleviated. In this context we welcome the Tk 100 crore employment scheme taken in hand by the food and disaster management ministry. Its implementation is envisaged in the current month.
Under the Food-for-Work Programme each unemployed worker and daily wage earner will receive Tk 150 per day. These will be exclusively for the hopelessly poor. They will be engaged locally in paving kutcha roads, laying small bridges and culverts, repairing the worn out ones, clearing derelict water channels or ponds and the like.
This is a good move on two counts, if not more. First, amidst high inflation the poor will be benefited by acquiring a minimal purchasing power; and secondly, rural infrastructure will be strengthened. This is a positive compensatory step in light of the fact that so far the implementation of the ADP, which creates job opportunities, has been record low compared to that in other years.
It is worthwhile to note that it's a month-long employment scheme being launched with the idea of feeding the ultra-poor before the boro crop is harvested. This variety of paddy is likely to yield a bumper crop and with some wheat grown on the sides and potato cultivation proving a success story in the challenging wake of Sidr, the inflationary pressures will have been possibly reduced.
A few words for implementation of the two sets of programmes -- VGF, VGD and test relief for 50 lakh poor families and the special employment related allocation of Tk 100 crore to 25 lakh poor households. Distribution of these facilities must be a supervised operation so that corruption, nepotism and favouritism among the local influentials do not subvert it.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments