ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety was informed that 4.5 million people were benefiting under the Benazir Income Support Program and a maximum payment of Rs75,000 per person (55 percent women) is being given under the Ehsaas Income Program.

The Committee met with Senator Dr Jehan Zeb Jamaldini in the chair in Islamabad on Monday. The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety officials briefed the Committee in detail regarding the current status and progress of the ongoing and future plans of the organisation.

In the briefing, the chief executive Pakistan Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety said that Pakistan is the fifth-largest country in the world in terms of population with a population of about 220 to 230 million.

He said that the people of many areas of Balochistan are living below the poverty line while some districts of Sindh, Thar, Badin, Thatta, and some districts of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are also living in extreme poverty.

He said that the government has pledged Rs5 billion under the Ehsaas Interest-Free Loan Programme.

He said that the government has a five-year plan for poverty alleviation from 2021 to 2026 under which extremely poor women will be helped.

The committee was informed that the department is working with 130 organisations in 144 locations across the country.

It was informed that a total 38,600 projects have been completed about health, education, water, and construction sectors, and work is continuing on other projects.

Chairman Committee Senator Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini said that the situation in Balochistan province is very bad due to poverty.

He said that Noshki district is some what better due to border trade but there is no sign of underground water there.

The meeting was attended by senators Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd), Engineer Rukhsana Zuberi, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, and other officials.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021