Poverty reduction programs to be launched in next budget: CM Murad Ali Shah

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in order implement Pakistan People's Party (PPP) election manifesto pledges presided over a meeting to finalise Social Protection Strategy under which poverty reduction programmes were being planned to launch in the next budget. The meeting was attended by CM Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab, CM Coordinator Hariz Gazdar, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Najam Shah and other concerned officers. The chief minister said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed him to launch social protection programmes as announced in election 2019. These programmes would focus on poverty reduction and provide social security cover to the marginalized portion of population such as poorest of the poor and women.Under the programme there are certain sectors such as poverty reduction, family health, mother and child support programme, Benzir Hari Card, Benazir Women Agricultural Workers Programme, Internship Guarantee programme.The chief minister said that some of the poverty reduction programmes were already going on through different departments now these programmes would be summed up in a single department so that proper focus could be made. He directed Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah to establish a separate unit in her department.There were different proposals to reduce poverty such as advancing small loans to youth and women to launch their small businesses and then return loan in easy installments. Under this programme womenfolk would be empowered by engaging them in agriculture sector in rural areas by giving them seed and fertilizers. The youth would be given scholarship to continue their higher education.The meeting decided to firm up proposals for launching these programmes and the same would be approved from the appropriate forum.