LALMONIRHAT. Mar 2: A new model for poverty alleviation has been introduced in the rural areas of the country through the inauguration of IFADEP-1 project at Aditmari and Kaliganj thanas of the district on February 23 last.

Project Director Kazi Mah-bub Ullah, Representative of European Commission Elizabeth Visar, Additional District Magistrate of Lalmonirhat. Thana Nlrbahi Officer, elected chairmen of the Union Parishad, local officers of different NGOs and a large number of people were present at the opening occasion.

The project officials reviewed different aspects of the programme. The credit expert of the project Salauddin Manmud Zakaria explained how the project stands out among the milieu of other credit NGOs. Zakaria said a constant urge for loan recovery haunts the credits sanctioned by other NGOs and the credit money is restricted to be used to meet only nonpersonal and non-domestic needs. But the said project is an exception to this as there will be no such urge for loan recovery behind the credits and the beneficiaries would be free to

use the credit money for personal or domestic needs and that makes the difference.

Elaborating on 1FADEP and its sub-project called Safe Deposit the chief guest of the occasion. Project Director and Joint Secretary of the government Mahabub Ullah said the exceptional project is being implemented Jointly by the government of Bangladesh and the EC which initially will work for four years. Further extension will be subject to evaluation.

IFADEP-1 introduced In Lalmonirhat and Kaliganj Thana is a tentative project to be implemented among VGD card holders under the supervision of Directorate of Women Affairs. Five per cent of the poorest women in the country are among the target group. The total expenditure of the project is Tk 110 crore of which GOB will provide Tk 32 lakh. The rest will be given by EC in form of cash and wheat for relief. IFADEP-1 is working with DW and other NGOs in two espe-ciallsed fields — to Improve the standard of life of poor and distressed women and to create income generating scopes for them.