Making underprivileged self-reliant
Women receive training at Zila Parishad, Chittagong on Monday. Photo: STAR
To help improve quality of life and standard of living of the underprivileged people in Chittagong, the district administration here has taken a special project alongside the regular development programmes. Chittagong Zila Parishad has conducted several vocational training courses under a project titled, “Poverty Alleviation and Women Development Project” on its Laldighi Par building premises in January this year. The three-month courses include sewing and cutting, block and boutique, boutique and design, solar power production, mushroom cultivation, garments accessories and vegetable cultivation. The administration is now preparing to conduct such courses in the rural areas of Lohagara, Fatikchhari, Chandanaish and Satkania upazilas and off-shore upazila of Sandwip in the district under the same project to train women and youths for self-employment and income-generating projects. It would provide training on handicrafts, sewing and cutting, cattle and poultry farming and vegetable cultivations. It will give sewing machines free of cost to the distressed women in the five upazilas. A budget of Tk 10.26 lakh has been approved in this regard, said the sources. Sources said, a total of 89 unemployed women and youths have received training from Zila Parishad, Chittagong in the city till June while 60 others will participate in three courses now. The second batch students, who completed training in June, received certificates from CEO Syeda Sarwar Jahan on Wednesday. Some of the students have also been provided with boutique materials free of cost. The district administration is awaiting approval from the LGRD ministry to introduce five other courses on food and nutrition, bee cultivation, biogas production, mobile repair and embroidery. While talking to this correspondent at his office, Jahan said they are constructing structures to house five showrooms just beside the Zila Parishad Super Market at Laldighi Par to help the trained youths and women market their products. Under the poverty alleviation and women development programmes a four-storey building is being constructed replacing the existing drivers' shed-cum- garage inside the Zila Parishad complex, Jahan Said. Under the same project the administration is also planning to install 41 solar plants in the remote areas of Rangunia, Raozan and Patiya upazilas involving Tk 17 lakh in the first phase. “The unemployed youths getting trained up from the newly introduced solar power and solar energy training courses would be engaged in the project to be implemented by June next year,” Jahan added. She said Chittagong Zila Parishad recovered 19.74 acres of land during the last nine months since October 15, 2008 as against 5.85 acres recovered in the previous years. Sources said, Zila Parishad has a total of 14,568 acres of land including roads, ponds, Bungalows, S.O Quarters and passenger sheds. The authority is facing 75 cases over land dispute and 26 cases in connection with the 32 ferry ghats.
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