Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the distribution of houses among 32,904 landless and homeless families across the country under the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project on Tuesday ahead of Eid-Ul-Fitr.
According to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Prime Minister will join the inauguration programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban at 11am.
She will be connected virtually with Kaichail union of Nagarkanda under Faridpur district, Gourichonna union of Barguna Sadar under Barguna district, Khokshabari union of Sirajganj Sadar under Sirajganj district and Barkhain union of Anwara Upazila under Chattogram district.
This will be part of the government’s initiative to provide houses to all landless and homeless families on the occasion of “Mujib Borsho” as the Prime Minister has mentioned several times that no one in the country will remain without a home.
PMO Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah in a press briefing held at the PMO said that each unit has two rooms, a kitchen, a toilet and a veranda costing Tk 2,59,500 without tax and VAT.
“The amount is Tk 3,30,000 with tax and VAT,” he said.
Alongside the houses, the ownership documents of a two decimal land will be given to each family.
In the first phase the government has given 63,999 houses on January 23, 2021 while 53,330 houses on June 20, 2021.
In the third phase approval has been given to build 65,674 houses while 32,904 houses will be handed over on Tuesday.
The number of allocated single houses in 2021-22 fiscal is 1,83,003 worth Tk 3972.07 crore.
The number of specially designed houses for the island areas is 1242. Portable houses are given to homeless families staying in Char lands so that they can move their houses during soil erosion.
The PMO senior secretary said that the recovered Khas lands from the illegal occupation across the country is 5512.04 acres with an estimated price of Tk 2967.09 crore.
The government purchased 168.32 acres of land for the Ashrayan project till now which cost Tk 115.33 crore.
The Ashrayan Project also rehabilitated 5,07,244 landless and homeless families from 1997 to December 2022.
“The houses and lands are being given to the poor families as part of the government’s aim to ensure that none will remain homeless,” the PMO senior Secretary said.
There is no such instance in the world where so many houses with land ownership are provided to the homeless families at a time, he said.
“The Prime Minister is setting the example in the world by giving houses to so many homeless families,” he said.
None will remain homeless in the country, he quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
So, the government will continue allocating funds for houses for the homeless families until their right of accommodation is ensured, he added.
Describing Ashrayan project as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s model for inclusive development, Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah said, “The living standard of a person improves radically (after getting a permanent house). It will help implement eight targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
Source: United News of Bangladesh