Dhaka: Poor people including old, widow, deserted and destitute women and financially insolvent disabled will get more allowance in the next fiscal 2017-2018 as Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith proposed in the Jatiya Sangsad additional allocation for social safety net programme.

In his budget proposal, the finance minister also proposed expansion of the safety net to bring more poverty-stricken people under the programme.

The finance minister recommend that the monthly allowances for the old and other disadvantaged people should be increased to help them improve their quality of life.

"In order to increase the social security coverage and improve living standards of poor, I propose the initiatives for FY 2017-18," the finance minister said, adding that by strengthening the social safety net programmes, benefits of growth were taken to all.

According to the proposed budget, monthly allowances for old people and widow, deserted and destitute women would be increased to Taka 600 from current Taka 500. The number of the beneficiaries of old age allowance and widow, deserted and destitute women would also be increased to 35 lakh and 12.65 lakh accordingly. Presently, 31.50 lakh old 11.50 lakh disadvantaged women are getting benefit under the social safety-net programme.

Six lakh poor women would get monthly maternity allowance of Taka 700 from the next financial year. Currently, five lakh such women are getting Taka 500 a month.

The number of the beneficiaries of allowances for the financially insolvent disabled would be increased to 8.25 lakh from 7.50 lakh when the monthly allowance will be rose to Taka 700 from Taka 600.

The minister proposed an increase in the number of beneficiaries of the educational stipend allowances for the disabled person both at the primary and secondary levels by 10,000 adding 5000 at each level.

He also recommended more financial support to transgender people, with proposing an allocation of Taka 11.35 crore, which is higher by Tk. 2.35 crore from the outgoing financial year.

The old age allowances for bede and other backward communities has been proposed to rise by Taka 6.32 crore to Taka 27.00 crore.

The finance minister proposed a one-time payment of Taka 5000 per head as substitute of food support to help improve the livelihood of tea labourers.

He suggested allocating two festival allowances of Taka 10,000 each for the valiant freedom fighters in addition to their monthly honorarium.

Muhith proposed raising the number of beneficiaries of maternity allowances for working lactating mother to 2.00 lakh from current 1.80 lakh.