Ehsaas Programme: PM for ensuring 100pc coverage of deserving people

Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed that Poverty Survey should ensure 100 percent coverage of deserving population in coordination with local governments and local administration so that no deserving person is left out of the Ehsaas Programme.

The Prime Minister gave this direction after he was given a detailed briefing regarding the formulation the National Socio Economic Registry (NSER) under the Ehsaas Programme.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the Prime Minister that the initial survey was conducted by BISP in 2011 to identify deserving persons for socio-economic sustenance. The survey had a number of shortcomings, thus a fresh survey was commissioned which will be completed by 2020 with the help of National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

A number of NGOs have been contacted for data collection and verification in all provinces. The collected data will be geo-tagged and revalidated through third party so as to remove errors. It was informed that a central control room has been established where parliamentarians can verify coverage of their respective constituencies and help in ensuring that no area is overlooked.

The meeting was further briefed that a "self-registration" drive will also be initiated so that no deserving person is left out from the Ehsaas Programme. This self-registration drive will then be counter-verified keeping in view the integrity and transparency of the programme.

The Prime Minister stated that Ehsaas Programme is the flagship social welfare programme of the government and it aligns to the objectives of poverty alleviation, education, food sustenance and health.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the survey is a national activity and the central database thus created would have utility for other organizations as well, like Utility Stores, for provision of food items to the deserving citizens and other social welfare organizations.

The Prime Minister directed that utmost transparency be ensured in the survey process so that no deserving citizen of Pakistan is left out of the social welfare net and also that this must be achieved in the shortest possible time.

The briefing was attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar, Chairman NADRA Usman Yousaf Mobin and senior officers of BISP and Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Division.