15,402 special persons given govt, private jobs

Lahore:The Punjab Social Welfare Department has started free vocational training of special persons in its vocational training institutes. Admission fee, tuition fee and hostel fee for special persons have been abolished.

Minister for Social Welfare Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari said that 15,402 special persons were given jobs, out of them 7,453 were recruited in government departments and another 7,949 were provided jobs in private companies.

During a press conference at DGPR on the completion of three years of the present Punjab government, he said that almost 100 per cent increase in development budget of the Social Welfare Department was a gift of the chief minister to the people which would enable the department to complete various welfare schemes.

He told the media that in Bahawalpur and Faisalabad, the institution ‘Nasheman’ was set up for free technical training of special persons. Approval has been given to set up centres for special persons at a cost of Rs160 million in DG Khan and Multan too, he said.

For the first time, boards have been set up in all tehsil headquarters hospitals (THQs) for registration of special persons, determination of disability and issuance of certificates. “We are now launching an online service that will allow special people to apply for a disability certificate at home”, said the minister.

Social Welfare Secretary Hassan Iqbal and Director General Shahid Niaz were also present at the press conference. Bukhari said that there were 10 panagahs in Punjab under Social Welfare Department. “New panagahs at a cost of Rs 185 million have been approved in Jhang, Multan and Sahiwal”, he said. He told that construction of new Darulamaan buildings at a cost of Rs265 million was completed in six districts of Punjab; Narowal, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Multan, Lodhran and Hafizabad. Construction of new Darulaman buildings at a cost of Rs165 million was approved in Rahimyar Khan, Chiniot and Gujarat.

Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari said approval had been given for setting up model children homes at a cost of Rs200 million in Attock and Toba Tek Singh. Other development projects include upgrade of the district industrial home (Sanatzar) in Attock district and construction of a new Sanatzar building in Khanewal.

“In the last three years, Rs249 million were distributed among 26,038 deserving and needy people from Punjab Bait-ul-Maal,” he said. The minister said that transgender people would be made useful members of society.

Approval has been given to set up a community welfare centre for transgender people in Lahore at a cost of Rs160 million. Their accommodation and vocational training will be arranged so that they are not considered just a source of entertainment, he said.