RAJSHAHI, Oct 7, 2020 (BSS)- Diversified steps were adopted to improve the living and livelihood condition of the disadvantaged and underprivileged population in the city.
After taking advantage of the time-fitting and need-based measures, many of the marginalised population have already become self-reliant social contributors.
Many slum people have started living in brick-built houses driving out from their thatched or mud-house in Rajshahi city.
The observation came at a mapping meeting at conference hall of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) here on Tuesday largely attended by leaders and representatives of Community Housing Development Fund, Community Development Committees and Town Federations in Rajshahi City.
The RCC organized the workshop in association with its ‘Livelihood Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project (LIUPCP)’ discussing and devising ways and means on how to formulate a proper map of the marginalized population.
RCC has been implementing the LIUPCP with financial support of DFID, Government of Bangladesh and UNDP for improving the living and livelihood condition of around 45,000 slum and marginal households in Rajshahi city.
RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton addressed the meeting workshop as chief guest with its Panel Mayor Shariful Islam Babu in the chair.
Executive Engineer Nur Islam Tusser, Team Leader of Urban Poor Settlement Mapping Project Anjuman Ara, UNDP’s Governance and Mobilization Expert Biplob Mondal and Chief Community Development Officer Azizur Rahman also spoke.
In his remarks, mayor Liton said the income inequality is increasing on one hand and the population is growing fast on the other.
‘To escape the environmental crisis, many landless villagers are migrating to the city. While looking for livelihood and economic solvency, they’re facing many crises. This is casting a negative impact on other city-dwellers,’ Liton was quoted as saying.
He also said Rajshahi City Corporation is committed to delivering facilities to all citizens.
Nur Islam Tusser told the meeting that the LIUPC project aims to achieve long-term sustainable growth by eradicating urban poverty and Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The project has been designed to reach initially the underserved urban population in the city and to promote livelihoods and living conditions of 2.20 lakh poor people living in the urban areas.
Biplob Mondal said UNDP has been working for more than one and half decades to eradicate urban poverty in Bangladesh.