Ration Card Scheme for 1 million poor soon: Dr Sania Nishter

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Security and Poverty Alleviation, Chairperson Ehsaas Programme Dr Sania Nishter Saturday said that a new ration cards schemes would be started soon to provide nutritious food to 1 million deserving persons under Ehsaas Programme.

Talking to media, Dr Sania said special nutritious fortified food would be ensured for the infants less than two years of age and vulnerable pregnant and lactating women to avoid stunting.

Under Ahsas programme, she said 80,000 deserving poor would be given interest free loans, besides providing them sewing machines, cattle, retail shop provisions to start own business.

She said social security and poverty alleviation budget was being double by the government.

This is a significant step towards achieving the goal of a truly welfare oriented Pakistan and make optimal use of resources for the benefit of the poor.

She said as many as 6 million women identified transparently through the ongoing Socio Economic Registry Survey would get stipend in their saving accounts and their access to cell phones will be increased.

500 Kifalat Centres would provide online access to free courses to poor women and their children.

They would have also access to free school lessons, free IT courses, free adult education and certificate courses in stitching, kitchen gardening, electrician and plumbing courses.

The government has decided to provide free wheel chairs to all disable persons, provide free hearing aids to the deaf, free white canes to blind under Ehsaas Programme.

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) registered disabled would be provided Insaf cards for free treatment to self and family upto Rs 720,000 from registered hospitals, she said adding that two percent disabled quota has been reserved in government jobs.

National Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Presons (NCRDP) monitors the implementation of 2 percent quota in the public sector, if implementation is not ensured, the entities were bound to deposit the salary of the vacant posts.

Supreme Court has already directed all the ministries to inform whether 2 percent quota has been implemented or not.

She said one percent quota is to be given for disabled in Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.

Ministry of Planning and Development Reforms has directed to avoid approving disabled unfriendly PC-1 of any project.

Deserving students would be provided tution fee, hostel fee under scholarship scheme being launched in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

She said yet another scheme Girl Voucher Scheme (second chance) would be initiated under Ehsaas Program to give a chance to dropped out girls to again start education.

Special incentives will be provided to parents of lagging districts on sending their children to schools.

Panahgas (shelter homes) would be constructed in every major city for the homeless, she said adding that the poor would be provided loans for constructing their own homes.

As many as 10 million families would get Insaf cards by year’s end for getting medical treatment.

Tahafuz programme was being introduced to assist the people within 48 hours, who do not have Insaf cards and are stuck by sudden medical conditions. It will cover court cases including illness and accidents, etc.

She said the pensions for elderly given by Employees Old-Age Benefits Institutions (EOBI) has already been enhanced from Rs 5050 o Rs 6500. Building Ehsaas homes for elderly homeless has begun.

The number of orphanages were being increased and provided more facilities.

She said the registration for daily wage earners and domestic workers would be started to provide them cover of EOBI and employees Social Security Institutions entailing pension and health treatment.

The number of community welfare attaches was being increased for overseas Pakistani workers.

Subsidized tickets would be provided to those overseas Pakistani workers, who did not visit home in the last seven years.

Furthermore, she said an existing dormant organization was being revitalized to safeguard interests of the mist marginalized poor seasonal workers, bonded labour, street children, transgender.

Share of the poor would be kept in government procurement, development schemes of Katchi abadies and shikar permit fee.