PM kicks off meals-on-wheels drive

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday kicked off the government’s “koi bhooka na soye (no one must sleep hungry)” programme under which mobile food vans will roam major cities to distribute freshly cooked food to daily-wage workers.

The programme falls under the larger Ehsaas umbrella. “The biggest beneficiaries of this programme will be the daily wagers, ones who dwell in big cities to earn and send some money back home,” explained the official PTI Twitter account.

It said that such people often live in deplorable conditions and after the establishment of “Panahgahs” which offer shelter, these meals on wheels will be another step for their wellbeing.

Addressing the launch ceremony, the prime minister said that the establishment of Panahgahs is aimed at facilitating labourers and working class, Geo News reported. “The government’s efforts are geared at providing the under-privileged section of society dignity,” he said.

He congratulated the Ehsaas programme and Baitul Maal administration for the successful launch of the service under which free meal boxes will be distributed twice a day through mobile trucks at various points of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The prime minister said that the government must continue to set high standards for serving the poor and so quality of food must continually be monitored and remain consistent. He termed the launch of the programme the foundation of a welfare state.

Imran Khan said the food trucks will go to areas frequented by the poor and labourers in specific. He said that many philanthropic individuals have already expressed interest in providing financial assistance to the programme. The premier also said that the government will provide 30 million families direct subsidies.

The prime minister said through the direct subsidy programme, to be carried out under the umbrella of Ehsaas, subsidy amounts would be directly credited to the accounts of poor people enabling them to buy basic food items like wheat flour, sugar, ghee, pulses etc.

The government, he added, would also bring a similar direct subsidy programme for the farmers to help them in getting fertilisers and other agricultural inputs on subsidised rates. The prime minister said with 70 percent of work already completed for the direct subsidy programme, progress on the remaining 30 percent was underway.