Sindh govt to issue 'Benazir Mazdoor Card' for workers, laborers on Jan 1, 2021

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Education and Labor Saeed Ghani Thursday announced to issue first card of 'Benazir Mazdoor Card' on January 1, 2021 for workers and laborers in Sindh province.

He expressed these views while addressing a special guest discussion at the signing ceremony of the Benazir Bhutto Mazdoor Card Agreement between Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and NADRA here at Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) headquarters.

Chairman NADRA Usman Yousuf Mubeen, Labor Secretary Abdul Rashid Solangi, Commissioner SESSI Ishaq Mehr and others were also present.

Member National Assembly Agha Rafiullah, Vice Commissioner SESSI, Tariq Anwar Khokhar, Dr. Umar Chana, Members of Governing Body SESSI, DG NADRA Usman Javed, DG Project NADRA Anjum Khan Durrani, Dr. Sadat Memon and others attended this event.

The agreement was signed by Commissioner SESSI Ishaq Mehr and NADRA Project Director Anjum Khan Durrani at the ceremony.

Minister for labor said that this is a pilot project and in the first phase, smart cards will be provided to the 625,000 workers and laborers who are currently members of SESSI and their manual cards have been made.

In the next phase, we will expand its scope to 5 million workers and laborers, he said adding under the project - the Unification of Labor, we want to bring all of them into the network, who do not work in a factory or mill, but do their own work and fall into the category of labor.

Saeed Ghani said that this was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto which we are going to embarrass today and she had expressed it in her 2008, election manifesto.

He said that this project was started in 2016, but in between there were some difficulties and issues that stalled the work on it.

"When we started work on it last year, we decided to issue the first card on May 1, 2020." said Ghani.

The final decision was also made, however, due to the Corona virus, it was again disrupted and the agreement between NADRA and SESSI has been finalized and the chairman of NADRA has been requested to issue the first card on January 1, 2021.

He said the issuance of this card was not possible without NADRA as no one has complete data except it.

Saeed Ghani said more such projects are also being worked on, under which SESSI, Workers Welfare Board, EOBI and Mines Workers Organization will all be brought under one umbrella and a law will be enacted to bring them all together.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman NADRA Usman Yousuf Mubeen said the agreement being reached between SESSI and us today is a historic one and with it we will issue a modern and flawless smart card which will help the workers and It will be a milestone in giving workers their due and it is no less than an honor for NADRA.

"Through this smart card, we will be able to complete the process of complete and transparent computerized registration of workers and their children," he said.