PM Imran Khan greenlights 'Ehsas Qarz-i-Hasna Scheme'

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has formally approved ‘Ehsas Qarz-i-Hasna Scheme’ [loan scheme] under the poverty alleviation programme, ARY News reported on Monday.

PM Imran Khan chaired a high-level session over poverty alleviation steps being taken under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government.

During the session, PM Khan said that the state has prior responsibility to care about its deprived sector.

The premier approved the easy loan provision scheme which would be inaugurated in June.

Dr Sania Nishtar, special assistant to the prime minister on social protection and poverty alleviation, briefed participants of the session regarding the new scheme.

The premier has also allocated Rs5 billion additional funds for the scheme that would provide up to Rs80,000 loan to youth and women in order to sponsor their families and personal businesses.

The project will be started into four provinces at the same time and it will be assisted by 26 federal institutions.

Moreover, the federal government made the decision to change the procedure of funds’ allocation for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). PM Khan approved the establishment of Ehsas steering committee that would work under the supervision of the premier.

PM Khan expressed his aims again to transform Pakistan as a welfare state like Medina.

On March 27, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced the government would open saving accounts for 5.7 million women along with the provision of mobile phones to them.

While addressing the launch ceremony of ‘Ehsas’ programme for poverty alleviation in Islamabad, PM Khan had said the government was also increasing its spending by Rs 80 billion in underdeveloped areas. “This will increase incrementally and in the next phase, it will be brought to Rs. 120 billion rupees.”

He said that the government was collecting data of the downtrodden from the whole country and said the database of all those institutions working for the welfare of the poor would be compiled and updated by December this year.

He vowed that all such institutions would be unified and brought under a single ministry to streamline the processes.