20m families to benefit from ‘Ehsaas Rashan Riayat’ initiative

LAHORE, Mar 05 (DNA): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty
Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar has said that ‘Ehsaas
Rashan Riayat’ is a revolutionary programme, which will benefit 20
million families.

Addressing a convention of merchants at Governor’s House on Saturday,
she said that under the programme, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government had given a relief package of Rs 120 billion to the eligible
persons.

She said, “Ehsaas Rashan provides a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per month to
each of the 20 million families on the purchase of flour, pulses, ghee/
cooking oil whereas 8 per cent commission was fixed for merchants.”

She said the Anjum-e-Tajaran had promised promotion of the Ehsaas Rashan
Programme.
Sania Nishtar said that the Bank of Punjab and Bank of Khyber were also
becoming part of the programme and added that previously the programme
was confined to about 4,000 utility stores in the country.

She said that interests of merchant association had helped in increasing
the horizon of the programme which she added would ultimately facilitate
the deserving people. She said that one million merchants, with the
support of National Bank of Pakistan, would take the programme to a
better level.

The Special Assistant to PM said that during coronavirus pandemic,
almost 1.5 million families were given facility of emergency cash. She
said that under ‘Ehsaas Kafalat programme’, hundreds and thousands of
children were provided the facility of going to school, adding that
similarly scholarships were given to students under ‘Undergraduate
Ehsaas Programme’.

Senator Sania Nishtar said that she was thankful to the Social Welfare
Department which played a key role for ensuring the access of people and
merchants towards the programme.

Punjab Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Minister Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari
said that ‘Ehsaas Rashan’ initiative would definitely solve problems of
needy people and added that more facilities would be provided to people
during the holy month of Ramazan.