Tk 362.89 BRDB loan for poverty alleviation

The loan was distributed for poverty alleviation by creating self-employment facilities in agricultural and non-agricultural fields.

BRDB is implementing a programme titled Rural Livelihood Project (RLP) as a follow-up of the Rural Poverty Cooperative Project (RPCP) in 49 upazilas of Rajshahi, Chapainawbganj, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna and Sirajganj districts since January 1999, according to official sources here.

RPCP started its implementation work in 1993 and ended in 1998 after finishing the tenure of Northwest Rural development Project, launched in 1984 to improve the socio-economic condition of the rural people by utilising local resources.

According to the officials, the RLP project is being implemented to empower rural poor people, specially women, by upgrading their ability in different income generating activities and provide assistance for establishing a 'district bank' for the landless people on experimental basis to disburse micro-credit to the target people.

About 1.78 lakh members including 1.43 lakh women along with equal number of families were brought under the project through forming 5,610 including 4,493 women Bittahin Samabaya Samity.

BRDB Regional Director Liakhat Ali told BSS that the authorities recovered about 357.35 crore against the target of Taka 369.33 crore from the beneficiaries under the programme, showing recovery rate at 97 per cent till the same time.