MUZAFFARGARH, Feb 23 (APP): A total of 223 selected widowed and divorced rural women were provided free cows and buffaloes in Tehsil Muzaffargarh on Monday under the Punjab government’s flagship livestock asset transfer program.
The beneficiaries, selected through a transparent online balloting process, received 150 cows of Sahiwal and Cholistani breeds and 73 Nili Ravi buffaloes. To ensure sustainability of the initiative, the women were also issued Livestock Credit Cards to help them purchase animal feed and manage their livestock effectively.
The program has been launched under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, with a total allocation of Rs two billion aimed at distributing livestock assets to 11,000 underprivileged widowed and divorced women across 12 districts of South Punjab.
The distribution ceremony was inaugurated by Member Provincial Assembly Sardar Ajmal Khan Chandia, MPA Sardar Aoun Hameed Dogar, and Deputy Commissioner Muzaffargarh Muhammad Usman Tahir Jappa. Senior officials of the Livestock Department, including Director Livestock Dera Ghazi Khan Division Dr. Ghulam Nizamuddin and Additional Director Livestock Muzaffargarh Dr. Muhammad Tariq, were also present along with local dignitaries.
The speakers of the ceremony said the initiative was aimed at providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural women, reducing poverty, improving livestock breeding, and enhancing milk production in the region. They noted that the scheme would contribute to household income stability while strengthening the province’s dairy sector.
Speaking on the occasion, participants lauded the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Provincial Minister for Livestock Sardar Ashiq Ali Khan Kirmani, terming the program a significant step toward women’s empowerment and rural economic development.