The government is set to expand the social safety net in the upcoming budget as the Covid-19 has pushed at least 2.5 crore people below the poverty line. In the forefront of the beneficiaries are the elderly persons, women left by husbands and widows, said sources at the finance ministry and national board of revenue. Read: Prioritise saving lives, tackling inequality in the budget: CPD Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will place the national budget for 2021-22 in Parliament on June 3. The budget will set aside Tk. 3420 crore for elderly persons, up from Tk2940 crore in the current fiscal. Some 97 lakh persons will get the benefits, an increase of eight lakh from the running year.  Similarly, allowances are being increased for widows and women left by husbands. Read: Parliament gets Tk 336.14cr budget for next fiscal year Their number will be 24.75 The allocation for this purpose would be Tk 1237.50 crore from the existing Tk 1230 crore. Some 18 lakh insolvent disabled, 7.70 lakh poor pregnant women and 2.75 lakh poor lactating mothers will be put under the social safety net programme, said the sources.Transport workers who are affected by the pandemic will be included in the social safety net programme. An amount of Tk 2500 crore has been earmarked for the affected transport workers. Read: Sources: Agriculture to get increased subsidy in the upcoming national budget Social welfare ministry sources said other social safety net programmes would be expanded and the ministry is working on it. In the new budget the number of transgender, bede and underprivileged beneficiaries will be increased to 95,000.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already provided financial assistance to some 36 lakh families who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and recent natural disasters. Read: Prioritise health, education, agriculture in next budget: BNP The families include 35 lakh low-income ones engaged in different occupations including affected transport workers. The remaining one lakh are farmers affected by recent natural disasters.Each of the 35 lakh families got Tk 2,500, while Tk 5,000 was given to each of one lakh farmer families. The amount of allowance for the valiant freedom fighters of the country will also be increased. The prime minister has already announced the allowance will be raised from Tk 12,000 to Tk 20,000 for the general category. Read Freedom Fighters' allowance to rise by two-thirds from next fiscal 

The High Court on Monday ordered the government to explain why the authorities concerned should not be asked to provide Tk 50 lakh each to families of three teenagers killed at Jessore Child Development Center.

Social Welfare Ministry and Dhaka District Administration on Tuesday jointly distributed relief materials among 200 homeless people of Gulistan and Polashi areas in the capital.