In the first phase, 13 lakh poor families will be given a monthly subsidy of one thousand rupees. The government will issue special Khidmat Cards to the resource-less persons on which the name and computerized ID card number of the recipient would be mentioned.
A meeting of provincial cabinet committee presided over by Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was held in which Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Bilal Yasin, Hameeda Waheed-ud-Din, Abdul Waheed Chaudhary, Assembly Members, Secretaries of Industry, Finance, Food, Information departments and other senior officers were present.
Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said the Punjab government has decided to give direct targeted subsidy to the poorest of the poor families of the province to resolve their economic problems.
Chief Minister directed that the programme for giving direct subsidy to the poorest families be implemented as soon as possible and institutional mechanism for implementation of the subsidy programme should be given a final shape. Shahbaz Sharif gave approval to the design of the Punjab Khidmat Card and directed to prepare these cards immediately.
The Chief Minister directed to set up a committee to consider the proposal of setting up of Punjab Social Protection Authority for other social programmes for low-income people.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister has said that on the instructions of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif relief items worth Rs. 20 crore have been sent to earthquake affectees of Baluchistan while a sum of Rs. 35 crore has been deposited in the Prime Minister's relief fund.
The first consignment of quilts and warm shawls worth Rs. 92 lakh was dispatched to Balochistan through ten trucks from the provincial metropolis on Friday while 90 trucks of such items are being sent from Rahim Yar Khan.
Talking to media on the occasion, the CM said Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sher Ali Gorchani, Member Provincial Assembly Atif Khan Mazari, Senior Member Board of Revenue and DG PDMA served the affected people day and night.
Replying to questions of media, CM said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced an excellent package for the promotion of trade and economic activities which will benefit economic and agriculture sector.
In reply to another question, he said that he believes that Prime Minister has made appointment to the posts of Army Chief and Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee in accordance with the constitution and law and it is expected that all institutions of the country will work for national reconstruction. He said that Pak Army, political institutions and all stakeholders will have to strive collectively to counter terrorism and work for economic strength and stability of the country.
He said that there is a need for tireless efforts and to display a spirit of sacrifice. He said that collective efforts for national development and prosperity would prove fruitful. Shahbaz Sharif said that every decision of the government will be in the interest of the country and nation. To a question about the prices of essential items, he said that concerned departments are making coordinated efforts for stabilizing prices of necessary items and their efforts are yielding positive results.
Chief Minister presiding over another meeting on Education reforms has said that the future of country and the nation is linked with promotion of education.
He said that Schools Reforms Roadmap has yielded positive results and enrolment campaign for admission of children in schools is going on successfully and hundred percent enrolment target will soon be achieved.
Special representative of DFID, UK, in Pakistan Michael Barber gave a detailed briefing with regard to Punjab Schools Reforms Roadmap.
Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that due to the steps taken for the uplift of education sector, the target of increasing literacy rate would be achieved.
He said that missing facilities are being provided in girls schools whereas the target of providing missing facilities in boy and girl schools of all districts of South Punjab during the current year has been fixed.
Shahbaz Sharif while directing Punjab Information Technology Board to prepare a digital system for monitoring attendance said that the system should be launched as a pilot project in DG Khan.
British educationist Michael Barber while expressing his satisfaction over the steps taken for the uplift of education sector said that due to the steps taken by the Chief Minister Punjab, facilities in the schools of Punjab have improved considerable.