CM expands social safety net

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday approved a series of major initiatives to expand social protection coverage, strengthen maternal and child welfare, and support rural women during the third board meeting of the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA).

The meeting, attended by senior provincial ministers and officials, gave the green light to a new Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme targeting 885,000 children, seasonal cash assistance for women in the agriculture sector, and key reforms to the Sindh Social Protection Delivery System (SSPDSS), including improvements to the 'Mamta' programme.

Reviewing progress on the Mamta Programme Sindh - currently operational in 22 districts with a budget of Rs56 billion - the board stated that over one million beneficiaries have been registered. To ensure timely payments and ease financial pressure on low-income households, the board approved a Hybrid Predictable Payment Model (PPM), under which mothers will receive scheduled cash transfers even if health visits are slightly delayed.

As part of pro-poor measures, the board approved full cash payments for pregnant women or their youngest child, along with 75 per cent of the conditional cash transfer amount for older children under the age of two, ensuring broader coverage of vulnerable households.

The chief minister also approved two new initiatives aimed at addressing long-term poverty and human development challenges. A Rs14 billion ECD project, to be implemented with support from KfW Development Bank, will provide caregivers of children aged up to five years with Rs3,000 per quarter for growth monitoring, nutrition counselling and school readiness.