Over 12.3mn families receive cash under Ehsaas Programme across country

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has distributed Rs 149.879 billion to more than 12,384,243 lockdown affectees under Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme across the country.

Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme had launched by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide Rs12,000 as financial assistance to the deserving families during COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest update, a total of Rs 67.156 billion had been disbursed to 5,547,709 deserving families in Punjab so far, while Rs 44.902 billion have been disbursed among 3,723,230 families in Sindh.

Rs 25.874 billion have been distributed among 2,131,284 beneficiaries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while more than Rs 7.604 billion have been disbursed among 625,934 people in Balochistan.

An amount of Rs 0.787 billion had been disbursed among more than 65,193 beneficiaries in Islamabad.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 2.473 billion have been distributed among 202,464 persons while Rs1.081 billion have been distributed to 88,429 people in Gilgit Baltistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that an amount of Rs1.26 billion, among the total disbursement, was paid to the existing Kafalat beneficiaries.

Earlier, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation, Dr Sania Nishtar had said the safety and security of the Ehsaas Emergency Cash beneficiaries arriving to collect cash assistance at the centres are the top priority of the government.

She said to make sure COVID-19 protective steps during payment operations, special disbursement arrangements were put in place in close coordination with the authorities concerned.

Ehsaas programme had initiated the cash stipend payments to provide instant relief to the daily wagers whose livelihoods were badly affected. This assistance was meant to help them buy rations, she added.

The distribution of cash assistance under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme was started on April 9, on the special instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The initiative was taken in order to financially aid more than 12 million deserving families whose incomes have been adversely affected by the coronavirus lockdown.