Government of Bangladesh's Response to Feed the Needy
The Bangladesh government has taken a special scheme to reach food to 50 lakh people through a food friendly program in the cities through Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice. A special OMS scheme has started last week in addition to the previous one to ease the suffering of poor people now confined in their homes. Under this program government sell rice @ taka 10 per kg.
In the light of the above government program, the Prothom Alo in a front-paged report today observed that government is facing problems in reaching rice to the needy people now confined in homes. In the process they interviewed some experts to find out possible solutions, Akhter being one of them.
Social Protection Approaches for Assisting the Poor and Needy
While preparing the report, the writer interviewed IFPRI Country Director Akhter Ahmed who gave some specific proposals to overcome the situation. He said selling rice on Open Market Sale (OMS) in trucks might spread coronavirus among the people. He proposed that government must reach food to every poor household. Regarding slums, he said all members of the slums should be provided food till the lockdown continued. The food basket should include rice, edible oil and pulses.
Food and Cash Transfer Modalities
Akhter suggested to continue with the on-going scheme of selling rice @ taka 10 per kg in the sub-district and districts. Besides, he said, each family should get Taka 1,800 as cash assistance. Later, they may be provided with employment and the money (given as assistance) could be deducted from them. He said food assistance could be given through food receipt or food voucher.
Health Insurance
The Prothom Alo report quoted the IFPRI 2019 survey which found that 56 % families in the rural areas suffer to meet their health expenses. Only four per cent of the families have health insurance. The authority should start health insurance for them, it said
The Prothom Alo in the same report referred another IFPRI report which said that countries like India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia have prepared a list of coronavirus-affected people and were sending them food free of cost along with cash money. As a result, the poor people need not come out of their houses to collect food risking their lives.
The original article was published in Bangla on Prothom Alo on April 13, 2020.
PC: UN Women