Getting Rs25,000 aid from govt for disabled children needs two years’ hard labour

Getting Rs25,000 aid from govt for disabled children needs two years’ hard labour

Getting Rs25,000 aid from govt for disabled children needs two years’ hard labour

The applicant was finally handed over the cheque of Rs25,000. Image: File

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ISLAMABAD: How pathetic it is that the government issued a cheque of Rs25,000 to a needy person after he moved heaven and earth for two years for his three disabled children.

Around two years back, Ishtiaq Hussain, a resident of Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi had started processing an application to get grant of financial assistance for his disabled children.

The applicant was finally handed over the cheque of Rs25,000. Three days ago he received this cheque and deposited it into a bank so that he could get cash against it. The applicant has been asked to wait for some more days to get cash.

Getting this meager amount as financial assistance for the applicant’s three disabled children wasn’t an easy task at all as it also had involved some bigwigs in process of getting it approved.

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The former Prime Minister of Pakistan and an MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had strongly recommended the application for financial assistance on February 11, 2020. Next day it was also marked by the Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing as the most urgent matter and it referred it to Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM).

The financial assistance for Ishtiaq Hussain was still a dream till MNA of JUI-F Shahida Akhtar Ali asked about it in Question Hour of the National Assembly which was replied by the Cabinet Secretariat, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division on December 12, 2021.

After all these hard efforts the applicant was handed over a check amounting to Rs25,000, which is still in process of clearance.

MNA Shahida Akhtar Ali had inquired from the quarter concerned whether it is a fact that government of Pakistan announced its policy for payment of Rs25,000 to a family having two or more abnormal children through the PBM. Moreover, she also inquired from the relevant authorities whether the government has failed to pay such amount to the families through the PBM vide Grievances Wing via a letter dated February 12, 2020.

While replying to this it was maintained that as per Special Funds Policy (SFP) the PBM is providing financial assistance to persons with disabilities (PWDs) throughout the country. Families having two or more persons with disabilities (PWDs) are being provided Rs25,000.

Replying to other part of the question it was stated that the referred letter was not previously received in the PBM. However, upon this question, the PBM approached the concerned quarters and obtained the referred letter along with enclosures. Subsequently, following due process, a cheque of Rs25,000 dated December 9, 2021 in favour of Ishtiaq Hussain was issued.

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Moreover, it was also stated that PBM is providing financial assistance to the PWDs throughout the country by head office/provincial/regional offices. A total of 15,665 PWDs have been assisted by the PBM from July 1, 2018 to November 30, 2021.

The reply also contains letter of the Public Affairs and Grievances Wing in which the wing on February 12, 2020 asked the PBM to look into with a view to redress grievance of the applicant as per law/rules and a report may be furnished to Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing within 15 days.

Read more: President urges businessmen to financially empower disabled, women

While talking to this scribe, Ishtiaq Hussain said that his financial assistance grant was approved on December 9, 2021 (as he has been told) and a few days back he collected the cheque in this connection. He said he has deposited the cheque in a branch of a bank and he has been told to wait for a week to get cash against it. When inquired from him as whether he would get this financial assistance every month as he had requested, he said that there was a little chance that he would get more assistance.

Ishtiaq earns his and his family’s living by doing labour work. Two of his daughters, Khazima Ishtiaq, 25, Tehmina Kanwal, 20 and a son Munib, 15, are special children or PWDs. Ishtiaq has got a large family to take care of which consists of six children including three with disabilities.

In his application addressed to PM Imran Khan, he had stated that he needs Rs30,000 to Rs32,000 per month to take care of these children. He said that after utmost struggle he acquired Disability Certificate from the PBM for the kids but he has not been provided any financial assistance. He had requested for financial assistance on monthly basis.

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Meanwhile, according to details, which has been provided in response to the question of the JUI-F’s lawmaker, 15,665 PWDs have been granted Rs186 million from July 1, 2018 to November 30, 2021.

According to breakup in this connection, 4,160 PWDs of Sindh were awarded financial assistance up to the tune of Rs51 million while 3,537 PWDs of Punjab were granted a total of Rs41 million. The 1,698 PWDs of Punjab Region-II were awarded Rs19 million. The 3,241 PWDs of KP were awarded Rs37 million and 2,162 PWDs of ICT were granted Rs27 million. A total of 375 PWDs of GB were granted Rs4.17 million and 492 PWDs of Balochistan were awarded Rs5.89 million.

 

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