DHAKA, Oct 18, 2018 (BSS) – Over 1.90 crore poor and extreme poor people across the country are being benefitted from the present government’s Ektee Bari, Ektee Khamar (EBEK) – one house one farm- project, one of the 10 priority initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“The government took the project to alleviate poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through fund mobilization and farming. In line with the key objectives of the project, it has been playing a vital role to make the poor people self-reliant,” EBEK Project Director Akber Hossain told BSS.
Under the project, a total of 79,579 ‘Village Development Associations (VDAs)’ have been formed across the country from which about 38.10 lakh families are getting benefits. The beneficiaries have deposited over Taka 1450.14 crore till September 2018 and the government has provided Taka 1,227.75 crore as grant under the project, he said.
Through the project, Hossain said, the government is assisting capital formation of the poor families, sharpening their skills through training and motivation, allowing them to sit together at courtyard meetings, enabling them to take decisions independently and develop the need based small family farms along with ensuring marketing facilities for their products.
Hossain said, by now, members of the VDAs have become self-reliant and capable of running their businesses independently. Under the project, he said, the government has a plan to form over 91 thousand VDAs by June 2020 and a total of 54.60 lakh families will get benefits.
Under the project, each member of VDA saves Taka 200 per month and the government gives the equal amount to them as bonus. All the money has been deposited to the bank account of VDA.
After getting fund from the respective VDA, a male or female member of each poor family develops small farms like fishery, livestock, poultry, nursery and vegetable gardening. Thus every inch of land of the low income person is used efficiently for agro production.
After making an income from their farms, the members of each VDA make repayment of their loans in installment to the account of the VDA. Thus the fund is being revolved and utilized for poverty alleviation by these poor permanently.
That is how, Hossein said, it stands out as a sustainable poverty alleviation cycle to stave off poverty eventually.