PM to provide cash support to families affected by Covid, natural disasters

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will provide financial assistance to some 3.6 million families who have been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and recent natural disasters.

The families include 3.5 million low income ones engaged in different occupations but hit hard by the ongoing pandemic and the rest 100,000 are farmers affected by recent natural disasters.

Tk 2,500 will be provided as cash support to each 3.5 million families, while Tk 5,000 each will be given to the famers, said PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

The government will spend total Tk 9.3 billion to disburse cash money among the affected families. The allocation for Covid-hit low-income families is Tk 8.8 billion and for disaster-affected farmers is Tk 500 million, as per a UNB report.

Out of 30,94,249 hectares of crop land in 36 districts, 10,301 hectares of cropland was completely destroyed and 59,327 hectares of cropland was partially damaged due to strong winds, hailstorms and cyclones on April 4, 2021. Some 100,000 farmers were directly affected due to the recent disaster, according to the data of the Department of Agricultural Extension.

In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture has recommended to provide Tk 5,000 to each farmer as they are affected by double blows - natural calamity and Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry has already started enlisting the 100,000 farmers incorporating their names, national identity card number and mobile number in the list.

The actual allocation for the farmers can be more or less depending on the number of farmers in the final list.