South Punjab: IFAD commits additional financing of $25 million for poverty alleviation

The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has committed an additional financing of $ 25 million for poverty alleviation of over 1.131 million poorest of the poor households for another three years up to 31st March 2021 in the districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Muzafargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, D, G, Khan , Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Khushab.
Chairman Planning & Development Board Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani said here on Monday that the government has approved the revised programme of poverty alleviation of South Punjab at the total cost of Rs 7565.78 million for implementation in the respective districts with special focus on women and youth.
He said that the Punjab government and its development partner National Rural Support Program (NRSP) will jointly implement this programme by combing support for immediate needs with a longer-term plan, shifting households out of extreme poverty by providing access to a package of assets that include social services, vocational training and interest-free loans.
In this connection, Project Director South Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project Muhammad Saghir & Chief Executive Officer Rashid Bajwa from NRSP signed a MoU. Gillani, chairing the signing ceremony, stated that Southern Punjab and less developed areas of the province have been given top priority by the present government and practical steps have also been taken for the development of the Southern Punjab. He also said Southern Punjab Secretariat will start working from the next fiscal year. People living in South Punjab will have not to go to Lahore for redressal of their grievances.
It may be added that aim of the IFAD funded project is to assist the ultra-poor and very poor in graduating out of poverty on a sustainable basis. This will be done by simultaneously improving their overall food security, nutritional status and income generating capacity.