Call to implement SAPNA package to reduce poverty

Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) demands implementation of Social Assistance Programme for Non-Asseters (SAPNA) package to eradicate poverty from the country.
The leaders of the organisation said SAPNA is a safety net programme with five types of support simultaneously for those who are getting the maternity allowance.
Firstly, it includes health, nutrition and birth control support to a family, next support for education and culture, a house and a safe environment, block allocation for livelihood development and then micro-credit, if necessary.
The DORP leaders placed the demand a seminar 'Incorporation of SAPNA package based on maternity allowance in the national budget' at LGED auditorium at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city.
DORP and Embassy of Spain jointly organised the seminar yesterday.
"If a family can be provided with these supports for 20 years at a stretch, it will eradicate poverty from that family," said AHM Nouman, secretary general of DORP.
He called on the government to initiate the package programme at seven upazilas of seven districts as a pilot project.
Former adviser to a caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan, Spanish Ambassador in Dhaka Arturo Perez Martinez, lawmaker Junaied Ahmed Polok, Planning Commission Member Prof Shamsul Alam and Shishu Odhikar Forum Chairperson Wahida Banu were present.