Tk1,257 crore released for 50 lakh jobless, poor

The finance ministry has released Tk1,257 crore for 50 lakh poor and jobless families hit hard by Covid-19 crisis.

The finance ministry's finance division released the money on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in April announced that assistance would be provided through new ration cards to 50 lakh families that became jobless due to the Covid-19 crisis. A list of eligible families was then prepared at the local government level.

The government is now verifying the information of the listed families to judge the accuracy of the list. The listed families will receive money through mobile financial services before Eid ul Fitr.

Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the initiative on May 14 with the transfer Tk2,500 to the listed poor people's mobile financial services account.

Md Habibur Rahman, additional secretary of the finance division, told The Business Standard that Tk1,257crore was released on Monday. "When the prime minister inaugurates the cash assistance programme on May 14, 10 lakh families will get Tk2,500 each. In the next four days, 40 lakh families will get similar assistance."