He was speaking at the inauguration of the Poverty Survey, part of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) on Saturday. He said that the survey with the help of the Sindh Rural Support Organisation will survey 176,000 household in the district, irrespective of their social or financial status.
He stressed that the purpose of the survey was to focus on the people living below the poverty line, their standard of life, and whether people are paying taxes.
In the second phase of the BISP, the government will issue cards and mobile phones to the beneficiaries. A registered semi-bank will also be established in every union council from where these beneficiaries can withdraw money and purchase grocery, he added. The minister stated that the government is also planning to provide health insurance to these beneficiaries.
Speaking about natural resources, he said that huge deposits of natural gas have been found in Hyderabad and Tando Allah Yar but the oil mafia has been stalling the exploration work for the last two years by going to court. If the project had continued as per schedule, there would have been a steady supply of gas to minimise load-shedding in the district by December, 2010, he added.
The federal minister said that Dr Samar Mubarak Mund is working on one of the blocs of Thar Coal project and was hopeful that gas supply from the project will start coming this year.
Thar coal is the third biggest coal reserve in the world and after the project is completed it will provide 20,000 mega watts of electricity for 2,000 years.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2011.
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