New budget
Md. Asaduzzaman, Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka
Tk. 300 hundred per month is a very small amount. Nevertheless, I want to applaud the decision taken by the government to earmark some money for a section of people who really turn helpless during this particular period. In a poor country like Bangladesh the pregnancy period is really a tough time. Though the government and non-government organisations are working to remove gender disparity, the situation is still very bad. I am afraid if the government distributes the money among the pregnant women, who are unable to take any decision about their own lives, they may not be able to utilise the money . Rather, the male guardians will be benefited by it. In my view, they should be given other essentials that they can consume directly. As malnutrition is the main problem during pregnancy, the government can arrange to supply a balanced diet for some days, if not regularly. Today (11/06/07), I read in 'The Daily Star' that each farmer will get Tk 100 as diesel subsidy and they will also be supplied with fertilisers in subsidised rate. Very good initiative but I have a question regarding the distribution process. The disbursement will be carried out by block supervisors. I am sure most farmers don't know about block supervisors. So, the authorities concerned should look into the matter and make sure that the farmers are really benefited by the government's move.
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