Dhaka: Bangladesh government is going to expand the social safety net by over 13 percent in the next budget, providing monetary allowances to additional 7 lakh poor.

With these additional 7 lakh people, the number of total beneficiaries of the social safety net programme will rise to 60 lakh, according to sources at the Finance Ministry.

The allowance money for the elderly people, widows or husband-abandoned, insolvent or disabled persons, transgender, gypsies, poor mothers and working mothers will be increased from Tk 100 to Tk 200.

The government has allotted Tk 1,920 crore for the allowances of freedom fighters, a senior official at the Finance Ministry told UNB, adding that it has decided to pay two festival bonuses to the freedom fighters and this will be declared in the budget.

Currently, some 2 lakh freedom fighters are getting Tk 10,000 per month each as allowance.

"Besides, allocations for different patients having cancer, kidney, liver cirrhosis, paralysis and heart problem by birth as well as for improving the life standard of tea-labourers will be increased in the budget," said the Finance Ministry source.

Stipend for physically- and mentally-challenged students will also see an increase, the source said, adding that the beneficiaries of the VGD will get money for savings.

Mentioning that some 31.50 lakh people are currently enjoying the old-age allowance it said the number of beneficiaries will be increased to 35 lakh while the amountof the allowance will be increased to Tk 600 from existing Tk 500.

The number of women getting allowances as widow or husband-rejected women in the current fiscal year is 11.50 lakh which will be increased to 12.65 lakh. They are getting Tk 500 now and it will be increased to Tk 600.

The number of persons getting insolvent or disabled allowances will be increased to 8.25 lakh from 7.50 lakh while their allowance will be increased to Tk 700 from Tk 600.

The amount of allowances for physically or mentally challenged students will remain the same at Tk 500 for primary level, Tk 600 for secondary level, Tk 700 for higher secondary level and Tk 1200 for higher level, the Finance Ministry sources said.

But the number of the beneficiaries will be increased to 80,000 at primary and secondary levels.

The number of transgender beneficiaries will also be raised to 7,550 from existing 6,970 and their allowances will be Tk 700 from Tk 600. The allowance for bedes will increase to Tk 700 from Tk 600 in the next fiscal with the allocation to this sector increased to Tk 27 crore from Tk 20.68 crore.

The allotted amount for the patients having cancer, kidney, liver cirrhosis will be increased to Tk 50 crore from existing Tk 30 crore. One person will get highest Tk 50,000.

"The government allocation for improving the life standard of tea-labourers will see no increase, but the labourers will get Tk 5,000 instead of existing food grains allowance.

"The allowance for the poor mothers' pregnancy time will be increased to Tk 700 from Tk 500. The number of beneficiaries will be increased to 6 lakh from 5 lakh while that for the working and lactating mothers will be increase to Tk 700 from Tk 500 while the number of beneficiaries will rise to 2 lakh from 1.80 lakh.

The number of beneficiaries of the VGD programme will remain the same at 10 lakh, but in addition to monthly 30 kg of rice, each person will get Tk 200 for savings from the next fiscal year.

The Finance Division sources also said there will be an imitative to prepare a transparent, complete and effective online database for the beneficiaries under the social safety net.

Informing that their NIDs will be verified for this purpose, the Finance Ministry official said, "It will bring transparency in providing assistance to the beneficiaries."