16 projects launched to alleviate poverty, says Sania Nishtar

MULTAN: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Social Security and Poverty Alleviation senator Dr Sania Nishtar has said the prime objective of launching Ehsaas Ration Programme is not to bring traders in tax net.

Addressing executive committee members of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry held in chair with MCCI president Khawaja Muhammad Hussein here on Saturday, she said sixteen different programmes are launched to alleviate poverty.

She said shelters are also being constructed under the programmes. Ehsaas Ration Discount Programme is being started to provide 20 million families Rs 1,000 to each for the purchase of ration on monthly basis.

The ration discount programme initially provided discounts on flour, ghee, lentils, cooking oil while the numbers of items would be increased in the future, she said.

The eligible families can register themselves on 8171 and go to the nearest shop in their neighborhood or area and get one thousand discount on the purchase of these items. Each family would be paid Rs80 commission on each Rs1,000. The commission will be tax free, she said and added the programme is launched to help out poor families.

Senator Dr Sania Nishtar clarified that the government is not collecting data of traders under this programme nor will they be brought into the tax net. Families earning less than Rs 50,000 can avail this programme and the government is providing a hefty sum of Rs120 billion.

Responding to a query, she said that the vendors will get their commission in 48 hours, this app will be made corruption free.

In response to another question, she said the government has done a lot of work. She said that so far 12 million applications have been received on which one family will be registered after completing the survey. She said on the fifth leg of Ehsaas Ration Tour to 30 cities, she was visiting Multan.

She said her visit was meant to mobilise local trader associations and Kiryana alliances across Multan for raising awareness on the Ehsaas Ration Registration drive across Multan.

Families earning below Rs50,000 a month. The registration of Kiryana owners is also ongoing, she said. She said she had visited 26 small cities and towns in Punjab and KP last month to create awareness under the Ration Registration drive.