500 families in Patenga will receive family cards on Tuesday

As part of BNP's election pledge, 500 families in Chattogram will be receiving family cards on 10 March in the initial phase of the widely discussed and newly introduced nationwide "family card" distribution initiative. 

The program will kick off in South Patenga ward number 41 of the city. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury will launch the family card program in his constituency during an inaugural event at Biman Bondor High School on Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah has introduced a "zero error" program to ensure the government's priority project, the "Family Card" program, is free from mistakes. The Patenga police station, located at end of the city, covers two wards of the Chattogram City Corporation -- South Patenga ward number 41 and North Patenga ward number 40.

The residents of South Patenga are delighted to be included in the 14 wards selected for the family card pilot project nationwide. They will receive their family cards before Eid, bringing joy and excitement to the ordinary poor families in the area.

Confirming this information, Pranoy Chakma, Regional Executive Officer of Chattogram City Corporation, stated on Sunday that approximately 900 workers are involved in the field-level operations of this pilot program led by the district administration and social service office. They have conducted door-to-door surveys to gather information on family size, income, expenses, and social status. In Ward 41 of Dakshin Patenga, a total of 10,124 beneficiaries were initially identified from the extremely poor, poor, and lower middle-class categories. After the selection process, 5,575 individuals have been finalized as beneficiaries. A distribution event for 500 beneficiaries will take place at Patenga High School grounds next Tuesday, where they will receive family cards.
 
Chakma mentioned that beneficiaries from these categories will receive monthly financial assistance ranging from TK2000 to TK2500 through the family card system.

The Deputy Commissioner personally inspected the process of selecting beneficiaries for the family card. During the inspection, he visited several houses to oversee the data collection progress and warned against any negligence in the process. Golam Mainuddin Hasan, Deputy Director of the Local Government Department, mentioned that the initial screening of financially disadvantaged families in Patenga has been completed. The program aims to accurately depict the social and economic conditions of each family. Priority will be given to financially weak families initially, with plans to include all selected families in the program gradually. Measures are in place to ensure that no family is excluded from services due to erroneous information.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah highlighted the government's efforts to empower women, including the distribution of "Family Cards". This initiative has been well-received nationwide, with successful survey work completed in Chattogram and data sent to the Ministry of Social Welfare's software.
 
Noor Box, a retired sailor from the Butterfly area of Patenga, expressed his gratitude for the government's assistance to poor families like his through family cards. He mentioned that the survey was conducted in his wife Khadija Begum's name, and they are scheduled to receive the cards next Tuesday. Rokeya Begum, who was displaced due to the erosion of the Sadhip River and now resides in the Charihalda area of Patenga, shared her struggles as a widow with two children. 

She survives by begging and is unable to afford proper meals or medication for her respiratory problems. She hopes that with government support, she will be able to purchase essential medicines.