Daily Times

Reminding PPP Co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Ehsaas initiative’s novelty, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Tuesday said all the projects of social protection launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan were ‘new’ and ‘fresh’. In a reaction to Bilawal’s statement about the initiative, he cited names of some national level programmes, rolled out under the umbrella of Ehsaas including Ehsaas Kafalaat, saving accounts, emergency cash, scholarships, interest free loans and Kafalaat for special persons.

He also mentioned other initiatives which were operating in selected districts. It included Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas Amdan, Ehsaas Langars and Koi Bhooka Na Soye.

He pointed out some pilot projects of Ehsaas that included provision of targeted subsidies to its beneficiaries through Utility Stores, Ehsaas Rehriban and others.

As regards to BISP, he said, “Bilawal Sahab! If you get tired of telling lies then take a moment to listen to the truth. The name of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the same as no change has been made to it.”

The minister said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) used the BISP to commit corruption as 850,000 undeserving people were enlisted in the programme during its tenure. It became an epitome of systematic corruption during the PPP’s tenure, he added.

He said it was the incumbent government which had used modern technologies to exclude 0.85 million undeserving beneficiaries from the welfare programme after thorough scrutiny. The beneficiaries also included the government officers of grade 17 to 21, he added.

On the other hand, he said Ehsaas was the first social protection initiative which was being run through digital means, and without political interference, adding, “During Corona, 31 per cent of the Ehssas Emergency Cash was distributed in Sindh, which is the highest rate in any province [of the country].

He said all the initiatives under the Ehsaas were being appreciated by the public as deserving people were reaping its benefits successfully. It had also been praised by international organizations like the World Bank, he added. The minister said the initiative was developed in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had been striving to transform the country into a Madina-like state. Such programmes were meant to take responsibility of a lay man and oppressed class, he added.