LAHORE, Pakistan: The Punjab government on Tuesday launched Khidmat Cards programme with two billion rupees to provide financial assistance to special persons.
A simple but an impressive ceremony was held here at CM House and Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the scheme by distributing Khidmat Cards among some special persons.
Under the programme, special persons will be provided Rs 3,600 after every three months. Initially, two hundred thousand people will benefit from the programme while the management would provide free travelling facilities to the special persons for bringing them to the 150 registration centres in the province where they would be issued a mobile sim card and Khidmat Card after medical check-up.
After issuing them Khidmat Card, first payment would be transferred to their accounts within 24 hours which would be deposited from any ATM machine.
The special persons who are not able to earn, would be facilitated unconditionally for a long period.
The management would follow the data of Benazir Income Support Programme given by Federal Government and staff of DCO offices would itself contact to the persons.
Addressing the ceremony, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that Khidmat Cards programme, first of its kind in the history of Pakistan, had simultaneously been launched in 9 divisions and 16 districts of the province.
Initially, two lakh people will benefit from the programme under which special persons will be provided Rs 3,600 after every three months.
Shahbaz Sharif said special persons had equal rights in the country and the launch of Khidmat Cards programme was to help those who could not earn their livelihood due to disabilities.
The Chief Minister said the objective of the programme was to empower special persons financially and make them an integral part of the society. He said the programme would be monitored at every level and it would be implemented transparently.
He maintained that under the programme eligible special persons would be imparted training through vocational institutes and provided interest free loans so that they could enjoy due status in the society.
He said the provincial government under the Punjab Education Fund was spending huge sum of Rs 16 billion to produce engineers, doctors, scientists, philosophers and intellectuals.
The Chief Minister said other provinces could follow Punjab government’s initiative to launch exclusive programmes for special persons so that they could earn some livelihood.
He said the Punjab government had provided Rs 16 billion free of interest loans to eight lakh families under ‘Khud Rozgar Scheme’ and return in this scheme is 99.9 percent which is the best example of positive thinking.
Vice Chairman Punjab Social Protection Authority Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha, CEO Dr Salman, Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme Marvi Memon, provincial ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran, Hameeda Waheeduddin, CM Advisor Salaman Rafiq, Chairman Punjab Welfare Trust for Disabled, Dr Amjad Saqib and a number of MPAs as well as special persons were present on the occasion.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif distributed Khidmat Cards among some special persons.
Source: APP
