Govt to add 50,000 additional members into Rashan Card scheme

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has taken a decision to include 50,000 more people in the Rashan card through the “Maryam ko Batain” program, while collecting and mapping data of beggars across the province.

A special meeting was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in which Secretary Social Welfare and Baitul Mal Saira Umar gave a detailed briefing. The meeting reviewed the ongoing program under the Social Welfare and Baitul Mal Department.

It was informed in the briefing that one lakh minority poor people are getting Rs 10,500 quarterly from the minority card, more than 16,000 people have received 16 types of assistive devices, including wheelchairs, under the special program of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The Secretary Baitul Mal said that 5,000 mass marriage ceremonies were organized under the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Dhi Rani program.

More than 1.6 million people have benefited from the ration card, Himmat card, and minority card in a short period of time.

The briefing said that more than one lakh special people were provided financial assistance through the Chief Minister of Punjab’s Himmat Card.

In the current financial year, 2 lakh people will be provided financial assistance through the Himmat Card. More than 1.4 million people are being provided with monthly financial assistance through the ration card in Punjab.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordered to complete the target of 9,000 marriages in the Dhi Rani Program and directed to include more families in the Dhi Rani Program.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also directed to provide cleaning and service facilities for wheelchairs and other assistive devices, and also ordered to establish regular orphanages for abandoned minor children.

The Punjab Chief Minister directed to seek support from authentic NGOs for the welfare of women and children, to involve the private sector in the revamping of the industry, to brand and collaborate with the industry display centers, and to digitalize the system of providing medicines from Zakat funds.

In the meeting, a decision was taken in principle to include 50,000 more people in the ration card through the “Tell Maryam” program and to collect and map data of beggars across the province.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed to provide full financial assistance to those living below the poverty line and said that our aim is the welfare and support of the common man, we will make the Social Welfare Department in Punjab public-friendly on the model of European countries.

Maryam Nawaz further said that we want to take every possible step for the rehabilitation of the deprived economy, through ration cards, low-income and