The Ģovernment and Non-Governmental Organisations have taken initiatives to ensure social empowerment of the marginalized people of Sunamganj district, which is backward in the country.
For this, the estimated cost of the project worth around Tk 21 crore has been proposed in the Planning Commission, an official of the commission said.
Out of this, Tk 16.76 crore will be spent from the government fund and remaining Tk 4.19 crore from the grant of the prospective organization, he said, adding that, it will be implemented by June 2025 with an approval after processing.
However, the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting was held on July 6 regarding the project titled “Social Empowerment of Orphans, Disadvantaged and Underprivileged People of Sunamganj District” proposed by the Ministry of Social Welfare.
Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Abdul Baki presided over it. The minutes of the meeting were issued on July 12. Various crews of project proposals have been highlighted there.
MdMahbubul Islam, Planning Commission’s socio-economic infrastructure department joint head, said in the PEC meeting, “It has been proposed to implement the project as a joint initiative of the Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Welfare and non-governmental organizations under the Ministry of Social Welfare to provide limited help to the projects taken in the socio-economic sector by private efforts for the rehabilitation and improvement of the quality of life of the underprivileged and unemployed people who have been neglected due to the Covid-19 pandemic."
Shahidul Islam, president of the prospective organization ‘Mati’, said,“The project is proposed to provide training to rural very poor people on computer office applications, mobile phone servicing, refrigeration and air conditioning and dairy farm management courses for employment, and to create opportunities to include backward people in the mainstream of society by making them efficient and self-reliant throughrearing of improved breeds of cows.”
He said the project will be implemented in 8 upazilas of Sunamganj district of Sylhet division. Through this, 800 poor people will be trained to improve their living standard and will be given opportunities to become self-reliant through income-generating programs, he added.
A representative of the National Skill Development Authority told the meeting that NSDA is working to implement the decisions of the NEC meeting.
Necessary initiatives are being taken along with policies to implement all types of training or training-like projects through all departments.
According to the decision of the NEC meeting, by excluding the internal training component from the development project proposal (DPP), provision can be made for the successful implementation of various types of income-generating programs for the poverty alleviation of the underprivileged communities in a limited range of beneficiaries.
The meeting was told that no expenditure on course coordinator, course director, opening ceremony and so on can be kept outside the government regulations regarding such expenditure.
