Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday inaugurated the electronic payment system G2P (Government to Person) to disburse the allowances of Social Safety Net (SSN) programmes.
Under the G2P system, more than 6.6 million beneficiaries would directly draw the money every month from banks after getting message of allowance through mobile apps and biometric verification.
The system will end ghost payments of the benevolent programme of the government, ensuring the beneficiaries getting allowance within a timeframe every month without any role of any middleman.
The government has allocated Tk 43.17 billion for the marginalised people including elderly and physically challenged persons and widows under the SSN programmes during the current fiscal.
Ministry of Social Welfare will distribute the allowance among transgender people, bedes (gypsy), horijans, tea garden workers and patients suffering from cancer, kidney and liver diseases.
The prime minister inaugurated the digital payment system through a video conferencing with the officials, local public representatives, political leaders and beneficiaries from her Gonobhaban residence.
Sheikh Hasina urged the beneficiaries not to be indolent in doing any job after getting the allowance.
She said the support is only for helping them to find out their means of living, not to be lazy or giving up any occupation.
State Minister for Social Welfare Nuruzzaman Ahmed also spoke on the occasion while Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare Zillar Rahman gave a power-point presentation on the payment system.
Principal Secretary Md. Nojibur Rahman conducted the programme from Gonobhaban side while deputy commissioners of Gopalganj, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj and Chapainawabganj districts took part in the video conferencing from their offices while seven more districts remained connected.
The social welfare secretary said database of 5.1 million beneficiaries were prepared for the electronic payment of the allowances, reports BSS.
He said the record of the rest of the beneficiaries would be completed by December next.