Daily Times

Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Division (PASSD) utilised Rs206.76 billion in Fiscal Year 2020-21 and Rs254.95 billion in Fiscal Year 2019-20 for different pro-poor initiatives under the government flagship Ehsaas program.

According to three-year performance of PASSD, an amount of Rs179 billion was disbursed to 14.8 million families in 2020 under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash-I while Rs48 billion will be disbursed to 40 million additional families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash-II. This is in addition to the seven million families being enrolled under the Kafalat Programme.

Ehsaas has completed its first-ever computer aided door-to-door survey all over the country to gather data of the socioeconomic status of households. As of July 9, 2021 the survey was 98 percent complete in the country and progressing smoothly.

Under the Ehsaas Kafalat initiative, 5.72 million families have benefited so far (Jan-June 2021) while overall seven million families will benefit.

The massively reformed 80 billion Education Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) has been expanded from 54 to 154 districts and primary to secondary and higher secondary levels of education. The program has enrolled 1.6 million children so far while five million children to be enrolled in four years.

The largest ever need and merit-based Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship program has granted 50,762 scholarships worth Rs4.8 billion to brilliant students in the first year (academic year 2019-20) of program. Fifty percent scholarships were given to girls.

In the academic year 2020-21, a total of 92,003 scholarships worth 8.4 billion have been awarded to eligible students in 129 public sector universities. The total number of scholarships by the end of the four years will likely surpass the originally envisaged 200,000.

Since the launch of Ehsaas Interest Free Loan (IFL) program till June 30, 2021, a total of 1.35 million loans (46pc loans to women) have been disbursed with a value of Rs47.77 billion.

80,000 loans are given out every month under the IFL scheme which would impact 16.28 million people nationwide over four years. The Rs15 billion Ehsaas Amdan (Income) program is overall impacting 1.4 million individuals countrywide through creating earning opportunities for disadvantaged people by transferring small income-generating assets.

Till June 30, 2021, total 60,364 livelihood productive assets worth Rs3.62 billion have been transferred to the ultra-poor and vulnerable poor households.

To-date, 28 Ehsaas Langars have been opened throughout the country. Each Langar is serving two meals a day to at least 600-800 persons. To facilitate labourers and daily wagers who need shelter, 17 model Panagah facilities have been built up by Ehsaas with one Star bed and breakfast facility offering meals, essentials, hygiene and security standards. So far, 1.8 million beneficiaries have availed shelter and meal facilities at 17 model Panagahs in all provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and the federal capital.

Under the Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye (EKBNS) initiative, to-date, 535,576 meals have been served through 12 food trucks operating across five cities and the program is being expanded to other cities as well.

Ehsaas Tahafuz is Pakistan’s first shock-oriented precision safety net program. Tahafuz is aimed at preventing people from catastrophic health expenditures and is being pilot tested in one hospital, since December 2020, following which it will be scaled up later this year in a phased manner.

Under the Ehsaas One Window Center initiative, the first center was opened in Islamabad in June. Miniaturised district level Ehsaas offices modelled on One Window Ehsaas will be opened in all 154 districts. Ehsaas in collaboration with Capital Development Authority (CDA) has implemented an initiative to give street hawkers licenses, which will enable their protection against predatory elements.