Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal (PBM) has established 141 vocational training centres (VTC) across the country to empower women economically. These centres are providing free training to widows, orphans and deserving women in different skills including drafting, cutting, sewing, knitting, hand and machine embroidery, Managing Director PBM, Brigadier Muhammad Sarfaraz (retd) told APP here on Monday.
Presently, he said 8,501 students are getting training at these centres, whereas 24,954 trainees have been passed out. He said that we have decided to set up additional VTCs countrywide including Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas to facilitate more needy women.
Highlighting food support programme (FSP), which is one of its mega safety net projects providing cash subsidy countrywide since year 2000, Managing Director PBM said initially the programme was providing annual cash subsidy of Rs 2,000 to 1.25 million households with annual budget of Rs 2.5 billion. In view of its efficacy and effectiveness, the government enhanced both the rate of annual subsidy and coverage over the period, he added.
Brigadier Sarfaraz (Retd) said that we are providing annual subsidy of Rs 3,000 to 1.46 million households under FSP adding subsidy was being disbursed through post offices since inception of the programme in year 2000. During current fiscal year, he said that we have reserved Rs 6 billion to facilitate household.