Ehsaas Programme: Over Rs 55 billion distributed among 4.586m families till 19th

Almost 140 million (139.197 million) text messages were received at the federal government's designated Short Messaging Service (SMS) number seeking financial assistance under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, out of which 55.47 million were freshly registered applicants, upon the closure of the programme's registration midnight Sunday.

The 55.47 million freshly registered applicants have been identified as 'unique' applicants given that they got themselves registered at the federal government's SMS facility for the first time whereas 139.97 million applicants mainly included those already registered but sent text messages on the prescribed number to check the status of financial assistance, official sources told Business Recorder.

Till Sunday, Rs 55.039 billion were distributed among 4.586 million families under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, according to the data issued by Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division on Monday. The relevant details suggest that Rs 22,189,116,000 distributed among 1,849,093 families in Punjab, Rs 18,478,044,000 distributed to 1,539,837 families in Sindh, Rs 11,490,264,000 among 957,522 families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs 1,622,028,000 to 135,169 families in Balochistan, Rs 842,196,000 among 70,183 families in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Rs 296,184,000 among 24,682 families in Gilgit Baltistan and Rs 121,428,000 were distributed among 10,119 families in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Since April 9, the distribution of Rs 144 billion to provide cash assistance of Rs 12,000 each to 12 million deserving families was launched countrywide under the supervision of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar. In the first phase of this two-week programme, which was completed on August 16, 4.5 million women already registered under Kifaalat Programme were provided cash assistance. In the ongoing second phase, four million registered through National Socioeconomic Database, are being provided cash assistance. In the third and last phase of the two-week drive, 3.5 million applicants registered through the government's designated SMS facility, web portal and district administrations concerned with the assistance of the relevant union councils, would be provided financial assistance.