Sun News Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the Awami League has always been working for the welfare of the poor and backward people of the country following the path shown by the Father of the Nation.

Mentioning that the government has introduced other allowances including old age, widow and disability allowances during the period 1996-2001 and increased the number of jurisdictions, allocations and beneficiaries of social security enclosures. 2018, I have prepared. '

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this in a message given today (Friday) on the occasion of 'National Social Service Day-2021' on Saturday (January 2).

Expressing sincere greetings to all concerned on the occasion, she said the theme of this year, 'Building a society free from hunger and poverty, providing services and opportunities for the marginalised' has become very relevant and timely.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has formulated the Nomadic and Homeless Persons (Rehabilitation) Rules 2015, Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trust Rules 2015, Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2015 and National Action Plan on Disabilities 2019. The hijra community has been recognized as 'hijralinga'. In addition, the government has formulated a policy for the use of information and data for persons with disabilities 2019, a comprehensive special education policy for persons with disabilities 2019 and a policy for the implementation of urban social development activities, 2019.

The Prime Minister said, "We have opened bank accounts for 49 lakh elderly, 20.5 lakh widows, homeless and destitute women and 16 lakh indigent disabled, 1 lakh disabled students under education stipend for direct remittance." We have created the beneficiary information database software and sent money to 11.65 lakh beneficiaries through e-payment. We have provided self-employment to the poor and lessprivileged people through microcredit and vocational training and reared orphans . We have launched a 24-hour child helpline 1096 toll-free service for children.

Mentioning that various types of grants have been provided to social welfare organizations, Sheikh Hasina said special grants have been given to poor, helpless, disabled and poor meritorious students and socio-economic development of small ethnic groups, families displaced by river erosion, slum dwellers, tea-garden workers.

She said, “Under the hospital social service activities, we are providing financial assistance for cancer, kidney, liver cirrhosis, stroke, paralyzed and congenital heart patients.We are providing additional quota allowance for those affected by the effects of climate change, training the social workers to develop their skillscounseling through the Autism Resource Center,. We have provided free medical treatment to 3.7 million disabled people in the country and aids to about 24,000 people. We have inaugurated the National Disability Complex on December 3, 2019 and have taken steps to build a sports complex for the disabled.

Mentioning that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave priority to the development of helpless and backward people from the very beginning of rebuilding war-torn Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said he undertook rural social service activities in 1974 for socio-economic development of rural poor, interest free micro credit program . He established the ‘Care and Protection Center’ for children, now known as the Government Child Family.

The Prime Minister greeted all those involved in the ongoing Corona epidemic as the Ministry of Social Welfare, Department of Social Services, National Social Welfare Council and National Disability Development Foundation continue to provide cash and food as disaster relief to the poor, destitute and disabled.

Shee hoped that the leadership of the Ministry of Social Welfare in protecting and developing the rights of the distressed, helpless and disabled people of the country would be more appreciated in the days to come. She called upon people of all classes and professions to work together in the belief of building a prosperous country free from hunger and poverty by 2041 to fullfill the dream of the Father ofthe Nation. She wished overall success to 'National Social Service Day-2021'. Sutra-bass

Sun News / M