ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said Wednesday she would hold a press briefing during this week with regard to the ‘Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme’, which she claimed would benefit 67 million people around Pakistan.
“I will do a press conference this week to explain how the “Ehsaas Emergency Cash and SMS program” will be implemented,” she said on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, Dr Nishtar announced that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme had been approved for 10 million people, wherein Rs12,000 would be provided per family. In a Twitter thread, she noted that 67 million people in total would benefit from the new plan.
There are three categories in the 10 million. (1) 4.5 million existing Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries (all women) already getting Rs2000 will get extra Rs1000 emergency relief (total=Rs.3000) for the next 4months 2/6
(2) Three million afectees will be identified through our national socioeconomic database. Eligibility threshold will be relaxed upwards. Those with previous incomes upto 20,000who have now suffered economic shock and are without livelihood will be helped through Ehsaas 3/6
(3) An SMS campaign, to be launched in 2 weeks will allow others, not currently enrolled in the database to seek assistance. District Administrations will conduct assessments speedily after SMS is received. Around 2.5 million will be identified through the #Ehsaas SMS route 4/6
“Daily wage earners are our top priority, whose livelihood has been badly affected by the corona-induced economic downturn,” she said, adding that the affectees were put into three categories — 4.5 million existing Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries, all of whom were women, 3 million affectees to be identified through the national socioeconomic database, and around 2.5 million to be identified through the Ehsaas SMS route.
Eligibility for the second category, the special assistant added, would be “relaxed upwards” as the people who previously earned up to Rs20,000 and “have now suffered economic shock and are without livelihood” would be helped”. These people were not currently enrolled in the database, she clarified.
Data analytics will be used to ensure that the system is not abused. CNICs of those declared eligible will be passed to #Ehsaas partner banks @HBLPak @BankAlfalahPAK and simultaneously an SMS message will be sent to them directing them to collect money through nearest bank. 5/6.
