Kurigram: The people of Kurigram are eagerly awaiting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s one-day visit to the district as a new social safety net scheme for providing extremely poor families with food ration cards is going to be inaugurated by her at Chilmari upazila on Wednesday.

According to official sources, 1,25,279 families in the district will be benefited under the scheme that aims to provide about 50 lakh poor families across the country the opportunity to buy 30kg rice at Tk10 per kg a month for five lean months during the dry season.

Kurigram people welcome the move and feel the decision to inaugurate the scheme from the district justified.

According to the Poverty Maps Brochure 2010, prepared by Bangladesh

Bureau of Statistics, Kurigram has the poverty rate of 63.7 percent, the highest among all the districts.

About 30km road from the district town to Chilmari upazila have been decorated with colourful archways, banners and festoons to greet the Prime Minister on this noble occasion, reports UNB.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a grand rally at Thanahat AU Pilot High School ground and the building has been freshly painted. A non-stop drive to ensure cleanliness all around is on.

Chairman of Chilmari upazila parishad Shawkat Ali, also the president of upazila unit Awami League, said the people of the upazila are eagerly waiting to give a hearty reception to the Prime Minister.

Welcoming the decision to inaugurate the new social safety net scheme from his upazila, Shawkat Ali noted that the locals will like to attract the Prime Minister’s concern to some more issues for the development of the area.

The demands include reopening the historical Chilmari land port and launching the intercity train service in the upazila.