CM Mahmood Khan orders reforms in Social Welfare Dept

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has ordered introduction of reforms in the Social Welfare Department to streamline and improve its performance.

He was chairing a meeting on Thursday to review the overall progress of the department and its subordinate bodies, said an official handout.

Member Provincial Assembly Dr Sumera Shams, Secretary Social Welfare Manzoor Ahmad, Secretary Finance Atif Rehman and other relevant senior officials attended the meeting. It was decided to constitute a high-level committee consisting of lawmakers, administrative secretaries of relevant departments and other senior officials.

The committee was directed to come up with proposals to this effect within a month. The chief minister termed the establishment of Shelter Homes (Panah Gahs) a pro-poor initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan for the protection of the marginalised and vulnerable segments of society.

He directed the officials of the department to take necessary steps for fully functionalizing the shelter homes in the province and ensure the availability of all the basic facilities there.

Mahmood Khan directed the officials to make sure that no homeless person spends night in the open during the ongoing winter in the province.

To ensure transparency in the distribution of Zakat fund and minimize human intervention in the process, he directed the department to devise a transparent mechanism for distribution of Zakat funds amongst deserving people.

He directed officials to expedite work on the proposed bills for halting child abuse, child marriage and domestic violence and finalize the draft of Child Marriage Bill after consulting ulema.

Expressing dis-satisfaction at the overall performance of the Darul Amans in the province, he directed the quarters concerned to submit a report on these Darul Amans so that necessary steps could be taken to improve their working.

The chief minister sought a report on the officials of the department working at the same post for over two years. He directed the senior officials of the department to launch an awareness campaign about helpline of the department established for filing and receiving online complaints about violence against women and children.

Earlier, it was informed that eight shelter homes were being established in the province on a permanent basis, for which an agreement had been signed with Pakistan Baitul Maal. The project will cost an amount of Rs680 million, out of which the provincial government would provide Rs340 million.