588,768 deserving families in capital get flour worth Rs1.366bn

ISLAMABAD: The government has presented the details of Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme of 2023 in the National Assembly saying that Rs1.366 billion was allocated for distribution of free Atta under the programme benefitting 588,768 families.

Zartaj Gul had asked for the details of Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme during Ramazan through Utility Stores in the financial year 2023, and how much funds were allocated for the scheme and how many people were accommodated.

The Ministry of Industries and Production while sharing the details during the question hour stated that of the 588,768 beneficiary families, 330,184 were BISP verified, while 258,584 were Nadra verified.

The House was told that the distribution of free wheat flour under the scheme was made on the directions of the prime minister dated 16-03-2023, with the ECC approval, duly ratified by the cabinet.

Because during Ramazan in 2023, the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments were providing flour to the citizens from their own resources, the federal government decided that since the citizens of Islamabad do not come under any province, so this facility should be extended to them.

The Centre through Utility Stores provided free of cost Atta to the families residing in Islamabad. It was approved that three bags of 10-kg Atta would be provided to the BISP verified beneficiaries registered under PMT-60 (both permanent residents of Islamabad and other citizens of Pakistan residing is Islamabad having PMT-60 score).

If not verified/ registered with BISP then were verified from Nadra and one bag of 10-kg Atta was provided to each such family. In order to ensure transparency while implementing the PM’s directive, it was decided to deliver the Atta to beneficiaries through POS/ ERP centrally integrated with Nadra and BISP database with real time verification.

While in a reply to another question, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Nelson Azeem announced that a state-of-the-art mother and child health hospital is being established in Islamabad’s Sector I-14.

The project, titled ‘Establishment of Mother, Neonates, and Child Health Centre (MNCHC)’ is being developed under the Ministry of NHSR&C and aims to provide essential primary and secondary healthcare services to the local community.

The new hospital would significantly reduce the patients burden on Islamabad’s tertiary care hospitals by offering critical healthcare services closer to home for residents of I-14 and surrounding areas. It would serve as a referral centre for nearby primary healthcare centres, delivering specialised maternal and child health services alongside general healthcare.