The Sindh government decided on Monday to start issuance of Benazir Bhutto Mazdoor Cards from this month in order to provide essential facilities and grants to the industrial labourers. The cards will provide labourers with free medical facilities, academic benefits and other grants. During the first phase of the programme, 625,000 industrial labourers will be issued Benazir Bhutto Mazdoor Cards which makes Sindh the first province to provide special facilities to its labourers. The cards will be issued through the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) which has been provided Rs1 billion by the Sindh government. Following the computerised format of database maintenance of all industrial labourers and their families, the provincial government is also aiming to eliminate frauds and corruption in the Sindh labour department. On September 3 last year, the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (Sessi) and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had signed an agreement for the issuance of Benazir Bhutto Mazdoor Card at Sessi headquarters. Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani had also revealed that the provincial government was making efforts to bring Sessi, Sindh Workers Welfare Board, Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution and Mines Welfare Organisation under one umbrella besides introducing 16 revolutionary laws in the labour department after the 18th Amendment.