RAJSHAHI, June 3, 2020 (BSS) – As part of instant humanitarian support to cope with the COVID -19 situation, the government has so far disbursed 21,173 tonnes of rice and TK 12.79 crore cash among the families in Rajshahi division.
Over 26.98 lakh jobless and other hard hit families comprising around 1.22 crore people received the food and cash support to overcome their livelihood related to difficulties triggered by the novel corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak in the division.
Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Humayun Kabir Khandaker said each of 17,92,000 families received 10 kilograms of rice while another 9,06,690 families got TK 1,000 cash for baby food and other emergency expenses each amid the pandemic in all eight districts in the division till this morning.
A total of 1,759 tonnes of rice and over TK 1.37 crore in cash are in the stock at present for distribution in line with the present uninterrupted efforts to reach the relief assistance to the affected people amid the present pandemic.
Meanwhile, 4,839.51 tonnes of rice and 12,343.46 tonnes of flour have been distributed at TK 10 and TK 18 per kilogram respectively among the families under the government’s open market sale (OMS) programme in the division till Tuesday last, said Raihanul Kabir, Regional Controller of food.
Besides, 1,38,858.02 tonnes of rice were distributed among 7,73,026 enlisted poor and extreme poor households under the government’s “Food Friendly Programme” till today .
Another 4,500 tonnes of rice is also being distributed among the needy families under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme, Raihanul Kabir said, adding that each of 1.5 lakh beneficiary families are getting 30 kilograms of rice every month free of cost .
Rajshahi City Corporation has so far, disbursed 378 tonnes of rice, five tonnes of flour, 64 tonnes of pulse, 67 tonnes of potato, 2,000 packets of baby food, 350 tonnes of seasonal vegetables and 3,950 packets of cooked foods benefiting around 1.40 lakh jobless and distressed families in the city.
Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said 26,782 members of 118 deserving organizations were given 148 tonnes kilograms of rice as the gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to lessen their livelihood related difficulties.
Another 7,400 households were also given foodstuffs as part of the government’s instant humanitarian support to relieve the livelihood related hardship.
Various other government and non-government entities are distributing foodstuffs among the needy families to cope with the present crisis.
On the other hand, 72,078 personal protective equipment (PPE) have so far been distributed among the frontline healthcare workforces to handle the COVID-19 pandemic through protecting themselves from the virus infection. There are 42,413 more PPE in stock for distribution.
A total of 935 doctors and 1,669 nurses are working in 190 public and private hospitals in the division. Around 1,914 beds, out of the total 4,899, have already been prepared for treatment of the possible COVID-19 infected patients.
There are arrangements of 462 beds in isolation units here and 19 ambulances for emergency transportation for treatment of the infected patients.