THE very fact that a huge portion of the money allocated in the 2010-2011 budget for different safety-net programmes remains yet to be disbursed, with the fiscal year nearing end, tends to highlight what could be inherent apathy of the Awami League-Jatiya Party government to the interests of the poor and marginalised sections of society. According to a report front-paged in New Age on Friday, the government allocated Tk 279 crore along with 90,000 tonnes of wheat against the food-for-work programme and Tk 1,535.98 crore against the vulnerable group feeding programme in the budget but, regrettably only 47 per cent of the former and 21 per cent of the latter have been spent thus far.
Safety-net programmes that include food for work, test relief, vulnerable group feeding, etc were introduced some decades ago with a view to catering to the marginalised groups. Moreover, as claimed by different governments at different times, the purpose of the food for work and test relief programmes aims at developing infrastructure in rural areas involving the destitute people and thus providing the latter with employment, and the vulnerable group feeding programme aims at helping the rural ultra-poor survive. The significance of these programmes, especially with the unabated rise in essential commodities, including the staples, thus hardly requires any overemphasis. However, according to the report quoting the officials concerned and different local representatives, the government has suspended release of funds for the safety-net programmes in question alongside other development programmes in rural areas ever since April due to elections to union parishads, which have been scheduled to be held, in phases, from April to July. Even the activities under the annual development programme have reportedly been brought to a halt on the same ground.
The incumbents need to realise that it is their constitutional duty to provide every citizens with jobs so that they can lead a life with dignity. Against the backdrop of the failure of successive governments to generate employment, the safety-net programmes have been brought to actions to help the vulnerable and destitute sections subsist. Hence, they need to redouble their efforts to implement those programmes without any delay. At the same time, they also need to take the relevant authorities to task for their failure to utilise funds allocated for the safety-net programmes.
Source: New Age
