Ehsaas kitchen trucks to reach other cities

Expansion in 'Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye' initiative

ISLAMABAD:

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan on Thursday apprised the Senate that the network of “Koi Bhooka Na Soye” would be extended to other cities, including Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Quetta and Karachi.

In response to questions about the network of kitchen trucks, the minister said that dinner and lunch were being provided to the needy individuals through a mobile unit in urban and rural areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Lahore, and Peshawar on different routes.

He said the government was only facilitating the programme while the food was being provided by Saylani Welfare Trust and other philanthropists.

“Now, the PBM is intending to expand itself to at least two prioritized cities of each province across the country to reduce hunger through provision of two-time hygienic packed food to the needy individuals,” he said.

He informed the senate that fresh-cooked nutritious and healthy meal was provided to beneficiaries by mobile units on different routes.

He said the PBM had developed Management Information System (MIS) for monitoring proper maintenance of records of beneficiaries based on computerized national identity card (CNIC) or any other identification document, to ensure transparency and subsequent identification of the category most affected by hunger. Upon provision of a CNIC, one additional food pack was also delivered on demand for a minor or a female family member.

He said the mobile kitchen was fully equipped with safe cooking appliances and a portable food booth.
Mobile Kitchen had the capacity to cook for at least 200 persons at a time while the food vehicle was also fully equipped with a portable food booth with all necessary items required for transporting, catering, and serving the pre-packed meal for a minimum of 500 persons, he maintained.