PESHAWAR: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to organize collective wedding ceremonies for deserving girls under the Dowry Fund initiative.
The decision was taken in a meeting of Social Welfare Department held here on Monday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair.
The participants of the meeting took a number of decisions with regard to the welfare of the unprivileged and deserving segments of the society. The meeting deliberated on the utilization of Zakat and dowry funds, along with other welfare initiatives of the provincial government, resulting in several decisions.
These events will be held at the divisional level, with plans to facilitate the weddings of over 4,000 deserving girls across the province. The government will bear the expenses of the deserving girl’s wedding ceremonies, and each bride will receive a cash grant of Rs.200,000.
The Chief Minister directed the concerned authorities to finalize arrangements for these events promptly and ensure transparency, guaranteeing that only deserving individuals benefit from the program. It was further decided that following the divisional-level programs, similar events will be extended to the district level.
In another major development, the Chief Minister directed the inclusion of shelter homes' (Panahgah) operational budgets into the provincial government's permanent budget to ensure their sustainability, and run these shelter homes as permanent feature of the provincial government's welfare initiative. He also directed for the immediate operationalization of all non-functional shelter homes across the province.
Similarly, the Chief Minister announced the distribution of wheelchairs to disable students in higher educational institutions in the first phase, and directed the quarters concerned to collect the necessary data for this initiative.
The meeting also decided in principle to establish of old-age homes for senior citizens in Peshawar with the aim to facilitate the senior citizens with accommodation and recreational facilities.
Furthermore, the launch of an "Orphan Card" was also decided in principle under which orphan children at the school level will receive a monthly stipend of Rs.5,000. A similar initiative for elderly widows, through the issuance of "Ration Cards," was also agreed by the chair under which it is proposed to provide monthly sustenance of Rs.5000 to the old age widows.
The Chief Minister instructed authorities to develop a comprehensive working plan for these proposed welfare initiatives within a week. He emphasized the government's commitment to supporting vulnerable and underprivileged segments of society in line with the vision of the founding chairman PTI Imran Khan. He added that the provincial government would utilize all available resources to ensure the welfare of destitute and vulnerable segment of society which is a cornerstone of an Islamic welfare state.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Syed Qasim Ali Shah, senior officials of the Social Welfare Department, Commissioner Peshawar, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, and other relevant officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
Comments