SAPM Dr Sania Nishtar inaugurates Ehsaas Nashonuma Centre in Khanewal

ISLAMABAD: On the second day of visit to South Punjab, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation, Senator Dr Sania Nishtar, inaugurated the Ehsaas Nashonuma Centre at the District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital in Khanewal.

Currently, Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres are operational in two districts of South Punjab including Khanewal and Rajanpur including four of them in Jahanian, Khanewal, Kabirwala, and Mian Channu tehsils of Khanewal.

On the occasion, SAPM Dr Sania Nishtar announced, “In line with prime minister’s vision to address stunting in children, Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers will be opened in all tehsils of the country this year.”

Earlier, Dr Sania met and interacted with children and mothers at Government Girls Primary School Kot Ala Singh in Khanewal to monitor the digital process of children being registered for Ehsaas School Stipends.

Read more: Over 20mn families to be facilitated through ‘Rashan Karyana’ programme: Sania

“Under the programme, girls’ stipends are high as compared to boys. This is the first of its kind girl favoring programme globally to inspire impoverished families to send their children especially girls to schools,” Dr Sania Nishtar said.

Further, she also visited different Kiryana retailers of a local market in Khanewal with senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) for Ehsaas Rashan Registration drive. She guided grocers about the process of online registration and also briefed them about the Ehsaas Rashan App for Kiryana stores.

“NBP-enabled Kiryana retailers will get 8% tax free commission on each subsidised sale”, she told the grocers.

Earlier in the day, SAPM held policy consultation with Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship awardees from Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan.

The awardees lauded that the programme had financially empowered them to gain access to university education. Appreciating the transparent execution of Ehsaas scholarships, Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Mansoor Akber Kundi termed it a life-changing programme for poor students.

Read more: Ehsaas, FIA join hands against swindlers defrauding Ehsaas beneficiaries

She interacted with the women who had come for self-enrollment under Ehsaas Kafaalat. “With the most recent completion of Ehsaas survey, we have established over 490 Ehsaas registration desks at the tehsil level,” she said.

SAPM also chaired a meeting on Pakistan’s first precision safety net “Ehsaas Tahafuz” with Nishtar Medical University VC at Nishtar Hospital Multan.