Daily Times

Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) has distributed a sum of Rs 3.83 billion (Rs 3,824.997 million) among deserving people during previous financial year 2020-21 under various welfare oriented schemes.

Having annual budget of Rs 6.11 billion (Rs 6,105 million) in financial year 2020-21, the PBM had provided medical treatment of fatal diseases related to liver, kidney, heart,lungs, etc to over 100,000 indigent sick persons through government hospitals. In last three years some 60,701 patients were provided medical assistance with the cost of Rs 7.66 billion. PBM was offering education stipends Rs 100,000 per annum to each deserving student of the public sector universities. Some 5,000 students were getting education stipend every year. In last three years, some 15,457 students were provided education stipend.

The PBM was running four Dar-ul-Ehsaas Centres in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in which 762 orphan children were residing. In total, some 51 Dar-ul-Ehsaas Centres were working in the country including 14 in Punjab; 11 each in Sindh and Islamabad/Azad Kashmir; eight in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; three in Gilgit-Baltistan. Right now, 4,100 children were enrolled in Darul Ehsaas Centres. Meanwhile, A total of 210,396 women of low income group have so far completed their vocational training from 160 Women Empowerment Centres (WECs) being run by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal while 13,231 trainees were currently getting training from these centres.

According to official document, WECs were providing free training to widows, orphans, poor girls in different skill including drafting, cutting, sewing, knitting, hand & machine embroidery, interior decoration, beautician, cooking, tie & dye, glass painting, computers, photocopiers, printers, and use of office equipment according to the requirement. Training emphasized on income generating activities. Low-income group of women/girls were being trained in two shifts. PBM has planned to have at least one Vocational Dastkari School in each district. PBM was paying Rs 8,000 to the families having one school/college/ university going female orphan and Rs 12,000 to the families having two or more school/college/university going orphans under orphans and widows support programme (OWSP). Some 100 families with orphan girls have been enrolled from each province/region initially on the basis of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) poverty score card. Until the quarter ending on March 2021, Rs 6,672,000 have been distributed among 244 families.