Barishal gets Tk 750 cr in social assistance

BARISHAL, Jan 4: More than 9 lakh disadvantaged people in Barishal received government cash assistance worth Tk 750 crore through the Department of Social Services (DSS) in the last fiscal year, officials said.

According to the department sources, more than 10 per cent of the region's estimated 91 lakh population are currently benefiting from various government welfare programmes implemented by the DSS. In addition, nearly Tk 36 crore was disbursed as capitation grants for around 15,000 orphaned children living in more than 500 private orphanages across the Barishal Division.

The information was disclosed at an 'introspection' event organised on the occasion of National Social Services Day in Barishal under the slogan, "For those who have no one by their side, social services stand with them." The programme was held on Saturday at the Barishal Social Services Complex.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) and Joint Secretary Md Sohrab Hossain attended the event as the chief guest. Deputy Director of the DSS AKM Akhtaruzzaman Talukder presided over the programme, while Shah Md Rafiqul Islam, director of the department's Barishal Division, and Barishal Superintendent of Police (SP) Farzana Islam were present as special guests.

Speakers said that beyond social safety net allowances, the DSS has been implementing several poverty alleviation initiatives, including rural social services programmes, interest-free microcredit schemes, rural mother centre activities, and rehabilitation programmes for burn victims and persons with disabilities. These initiatives are being carried out from district and upazila levels to remote rural areas across Barishal and other southern districts.

According to official data, the Barishal Division has accommodation facilities for more than 1,500 people across 10 government-run children's homes for boys and girls, training and rehabilitation centres for socially disadvantaged women, orphaned and disabled girls, integrated education programmes for visually impaired children, and safe shelters for women and adolescent girls. However, the number of current residents is around 750.

Officials also said that although a facility in Agailjhara Upazila has accommodation and rehabilitation facilities for 100 orphaned and abandoned children, only 13 children are currently residing there. The institution's remote location and distance from district and metropolitan areas have kept it largely out of public attention.

The department also provided medical assistance to nearly 3,000 people suffering from cancer, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, stroke-related paralysis, congenital heart disease and thalassaemia. About Tk 15 lakh was disbursed as cash assistance for medical treatment during the last fiscal year.

Under various social safety-net schemes, old-age allowances were provided to 4,54,674 people, widow and husband-abandoned women allowances to nearly 2.20 lakh beneficiaries, and disability allowances to 2.31 lakh people across the Barishal Division. Around 8,000 people received special allowances for marginalised groups, while about 6,500 students benefited from disability education stipends.

In addition, education stipends were provided to 3,137 students from disadvantaged communities, while 874 members of the Bedey community received special allowances and 686 Bedey students received education stipends. Allowances were given to 103 Hijra individuals, while 29 Hijra students received education stipends.

In the last fiscal year, capitation grants worth Tk 35.81 crore were distributed among 14,922 orphaned children at 501 private orphanages in the Barishal division, providing Tk 2,000 per child per month. The government has increased allocations for these programmes in the current fiscal year, offering renewed hope to marginalised communities across the southern region.