PTI MPs to recommend names of Ehsaas beneficiaries

Decision made despite Dr Sania Nishtar’s reservations

ISLAMABAD: Despite the reservations of PM’s aide Dr Sania Nishtar, the government has agreed to accommodate the recommendations of the ruling PTI’s lawmakers in its flagship poverty alleviation Ehsaas Kifalat programme.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Dr Nishtar have been directed to prepare a plan achieve this task.

The decision has been made after the lawmakers lodged their protest with Prime Minister Imran Khan on the issue.

A debate was held on the matter during a meeting of the federal cabinet.

Most federal ministers were of the view that taking the legislators on board would ensure the distribution of Kifalat cards to deserving people making the programme successful.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Nishtar informed the cabinet that the programme was being launched with the cooperation of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and special desks would be set up at its offices throughout the country.

Dr Nishtar, who is also the chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), stressed the need for relying only on NADRA’s database to determine who deserved to be among the beneficiaries of the programme.

However, the cabinet members argued that the lawmakers, who were facing difficulties in receiving funds, could help the poor in their constituencies through the Rs190 billion programme.

They added that the lawmakers could assist in having their deserving people in their constituencies registered as Ehsaas Kifalat beneficiaries.

PM Imran agreed with their argument and told Khattak and Dr Nishtar to prepare a plan to include the recommendations of the ruling party’s lawmakers in the programme.

A day earlier, Dr Nishtar had announced that federal government was going to launch an institutional arrangement in next three months allowing the corporate sectors to donate to Ehsaas Programme with transparency and efficiency.

“A web portal would be launched under the proposed arrangement to let the private sector know in what manner the donations are being spent for the welfare of the individuals,” she said.

Dr Sania said that in her capacity as being the in-charge of the government’s programme for poverty reduction and social protection, she had been mandated with the task to come up with the required incentives.

She added that the government was doing its best to ensure transparency in its projects.

The Ehsaas programme comprises 134 different initiatives for the welfare of under-privileged and poor including the orphans and women.