Poverty alleviation: 260 poor women given sheep, goats

Cows worth Rs40 million to be distributed next month

DG KHAN: As many as 260 poor women of District Kot Chatha received sheeps and goats free of charge under the Punjab government’s Ghareeb Parwar Scheme.

The government was providing respectable employment to these women by distributing animals among them, said MNA Sardar Mehmood Qadir Leghari while speaking at the distribution ceremony on Wednesday.

Around 520 animals were distributed among these women, he said, adding that the government was taking steps to develop livestock sector.



The only women to qualify for this scheme would be ones who possess at least one acre of land, should be residents of the same village with one of their children studying at a local school.

Mehmood said that the women were given animals on a condition that they would not sell or slaughter their cattle within three years. If case of the animal’s death, the body would be handed over to the livestock department and within 15 days the woman would be given another animal.

For the first time in country’s history, the animals were given after their insurance, he said, adding the livestock department would send teams to vaccinate animals at these women’s houses. If these animals are stolen, the department would get them recovered with the help of police, he said.

If a woman violates conditions, she would have to pay the total cost of the animal, he warned.

He announced that cows worth Rs40 million would be distributed among deserving women next month.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2016.