Accommodation for the homeless: Tk8,962cr sought

The allocation and disbursement of Tk8,962 crore for Ashrayan 2 Project, for the interim period, has been proposed to build shelters for homeless people this year–a promise of the prime minister celebrating Mujib Year.     

The allocation would be approved later in the next project revision. The proposal was sent to the Planning Commission from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Wednesday.    

The government plans to build houses for 6,19,750 homeless families in the current and next two fiscal years, said PMO sources.

Of them, 30,000 families of the "Ka" category, who neither have land nor a home, would get shelters from the government under the Ashrayan 2 Project. This project would construct the houses, on government land, for marginalised people. 

Additionally, 5,89,750 families belonging to the "Kha" category–who have some land but no home–would get housing from the government. The Ashrayan 2 Project aims to build homes for 4,89,228 such families.         

Under the Cluster Village Project (second phase) of the Ministry of Land, 13,526 families belonging to Kha category would get government housing support in the Chuadanga, Meherpur and Kushtia district.       

Meanwhile, 86,996 families in Rajshahi and Sylhet in the Kha category would receive government housing under the Disaster Tolerance Dwelling House Building for Homeless People Project of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.    

Housing project sources said a policy guideline for sheltering the homeless and landless people, celebrating Mujib Year, has already been approved. According to it, pucca and semi-pucca barracks would be built for the landless and homeless. Families who have land would get their homes built on their own respective plots.  

The prime minister directed that the Ashrayan 2 Project development project proposal (DPP) be revised and that the Planning Commission's approval for the interim period be obtained so that construction can begin; in line with the approved policy and design.   

As the DPP revision may take some time, Tk8,962 crore has been proposed to be allocated this fiscal year for the project.

The Ashrayan 2 Project of the PMO began in 2010. The project has already been revised for a third time, raising its cost to Tk4,826 crore. This project is due to conclude in June 2022.       

The housing scheme for the homeless in Mujib Year would hike the project cost to Tk13,363.31 crore in the fourth project revision. 

On condition of anonymity, a Planning Commission official said this is a priority project of the premier. Additionally, there is already a directive from the prime minister for prompt funds disbursement. Therefore, the disbursement for the housing project would be rapid.     

The official said the next revision of the Ashrayan 2 Project would approve the disbursement to be made soon.  

Officials concerned said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1972, in Charporagacha village, Lakshmipur, instructed that shelters be built for the homeless. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a visit to cyclone-hit Cox's Bazar in 1997 directed that the homeless people be rehabilitated. Subsequently, the Ashrayan Project began and 2,98,249 families have been rehabilitated under the project so far.         

Centering on the Mujib Year celebration, the government also formed a committee to rehabilitate the homeless and landless. On August 9, the committee held a meeting presided over by Local Government Division Secretary Helal Uddin and a list of homeless people across the country was presented at the meeting. 

Referring to a list received from the district administrations, housing Project Director Md Mahbub Hossain at the meeting said the number of homeless families in the Ka category is 2,92,283, and their housing would cost the government Tk7,794 crore.

There are 5,89,750 homeless families in Kha category while the number of total homeless families amounts to 8,82,033. Providing shelter to Kha category would cost the government Tk10,085 crore.     

The housing project would provide 10,000 marginalised families of the Ka category with rehabilitation facilities this year, and more 30,000 families in next three years.   

The government would rehabilitate 4,89,228 families of the Kha category under the project. Rangpur division tops in the number of homeless families while Chattogram and Khulna stand in second and third position, respectively.       

Under the Ashrayan Project: 89,623 families in Dhaka division, 22,027 families in Mymensingh, 53,256 in Barishal, 1,27,636 in Rangpur, 99,767 in Chattogram, and 96,919 families in seven district of Khulna division would get government-built homes.     

Under the land ministry cluster village project, a total of 13,526 families–including 9,954 in Chuadanga, 1,342 in Meherpur and 2,230 in Kushtia–would come under government housing facilities.            

Meanwhile, under the disaster management and relief ministry project, 58,934 families in Rajshahi and 28,062 families in Sylhet would get pucca and semi-pucca houses.

Under the Ashrayan Project, 3,00,000 Kha category families in 2020-21, 1,00,000 families in 2021-22 and 89,228 families in 2022-23 fiscal year would be rehabilitated. In the cluster village project, 13,526 families would get the facility this current fiscal year.   

The government would provide 50,000 families with homes under the disaster management and relief ministry project this year while 36,996 families would be rehabilitated in the next year.

Overall, 3,63,526 families of the Kha category would get a home this year while more 1,36,996 and 89,228 homeless families would be rehabilitated in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years, respectively.