Daily Times

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has announced a series of welfare and development initiatives, including a Rs. 1.15 billion Eid package for deserving individuals across the province.

Under the new program, 1,000 deserving individuals in each provincial assembly constituency will receive Rs. 10,000 each, totaling Rs. 1.15 billion. Additionally, 2,050 families of police martyrs will benefit from Rs. 10,000 Eid packages. To ensure comprehensive coverage, Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur instructed all provincial assembly members to conduct immediate surveys of unregistered families in their constituencies. These surveys, ongoing presently, aim to include all deserving families.

Subsequently, the cash aid is being transferred online to these households. Ahmed Faraz stated that over 50 percent of the funds have already been disbursed, with the remaining families set to receive their aid soon.

This initiative entails disbursing billions of rupees to deserving families transparently and based on merit. Departing from the practice of distributing rations, the decision to provide cash aims to empower recipients to procure items according to their requirements. For unregistered families, a streamlined registration process has been implemented, overseen by 10-member committees formed by MPAs at the union council level. These committees, comprising local representatives and elders, ensure accurate reporting and eligibility determination.

To maintain transparency, oversight committees have been established to monitor the registration process. Each MPA has been tasked with identifying up to 1,000 unregistered families within their constituencies.

Under the Chief Minister’s directives, all deserving families will receive the Ramadan package online, ensuring timely assistance during the holy month. Ali Amin Gandapur remains committed to extending this service to all deserving households across the province. In a separate move, the cabinet approved a Rs. 7.67 billion scheme to equip police forces in various districts with modern vehicles and equipment, strengthening their operational capacity.

To improve efficiency in government department recruitment, the cabinet formed a committee tasked with evaluating private testing agencies for screening potential candidates. The committee’s recommendations, including proposals to expand the capacity of government testing agencies, are expected within 15 days.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is taking significant strides towards digital infrastructure development. The cabinet approved the Digital Rights of Way Policy, paving the way for streamlined digital connectivity. Furthermore, agreements were greenlit between the Information Technology Board and the Special Technology Zone Authority to establish Pakistan Digital City. The meeting also addressed governance reforms within the Provincial Endowment Department Organization (PEDO). New rules for appointing Chief Executive Officers and Executive Committee Members for PEDO were approved.

These initiatives collectively aim to enhance social welfare programs, modernize law enforcement capabilities, and accelerate digitalization across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. inp