Punjab spends Rs361b on social protection initiatives; expands welfare programmes, minority support

LAHORE, Jun 17 (APP): Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Tuesday announced that the provincial government spent Rs 361 billion on social protection initiatives during fiscal year 2025-26 and proposed significant allocations for welfare, minority empowerment and poverty alleviation programmes in the budget for 2026-27.

Presenting the budget in the Punjab Assembly, the minister said the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER) had been fully completed during 2025-26, with socio-economic data of over 110 million individuals collected to ensure transparency and effective targeting of government welfare schemes. He said the government was transforming PSER into an authority and had earmarked Rs two billion for its expansion in 2026-27.

He said Rs two billion had also been allocated to strengthen the operational capacity of the Punjab Social Protection Authority to improve monitoring and implementation of social protection programs.

Highlighting key welfare initiatives, the minister said financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per family was provided to around 3.4 million deserving families under the Ramazan Nigahban Package 2026 at a cost of Rs 39 billion. An allocation of Rs 37 billion had been proposed for the package in the next fiscal year.

He said Rs 24.87 billion was spent under the Maryam Nawaz Social Security Ration Card programme to support industrial workers and 1.2 million low-income families, while Rs 40 billion had been earmarked for the initiative in 2026-27.

The minister said the Himmat Card programme benefited 100,000 persons with disabilities through an expenditure of Rs 4.83 billion during the current fiscal year, while Rs five billion had been allocated for the program in the upcoming year.

He said 29,265 livestock farmers received financial assistance under the Livestock Card Programme at a cost of Rs three billion, with Rs 4.4 billion proposed for the next fiscal year.

Referring to the Dhee Rani Programme, he said Rs 1.77 billion was spent on the collective marriages of 5,000 deserving daughters, while Rs 1.7 billion had been proposed for the initiative in 2026-27.

The minister said 18,803 deserving persons benefited from the provision of artificial limbs, hearing aids and other assistive devices at a cost of Rs one billion. For the next fiscal year, Rs 3.7 billion had been allocated to extend support to 40,000 beneficiaries.

He further announced Rs 2.6 billion for the establishment of Old Age Homes in various districts across Punjab.

Under the Maryam Ko Batayen programme, financial assistance was provided to 13,757 citizens during 2025-26 at a cost of Rs one billion, he added.

The finance minister said Rs 9.22 billion was spent on financial assistance for 60,000 mosque Imams, each receiving a monthly stipend of Rs 25,000. For the upcoming fiscal year, Rs 18.5 billion had been allocated for the initiative.

On minority welfare, he said Rs 2.11 billion was spent on the construction, restoration and development of gurdwaras, churches, temples, graveyards and other religious and historical sites during 2025-26. The government had allocated Rs five billion for similar projects in 2026-27.

He said deserving minority families would receive support under the CM Minority Card at a cost of Rs three billion, while Rs four billion had been proposed under the CM Minority Development Programme to improve facilities for minority communities.

Addressing regional development, the minister said the Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project, being implemented at a cost of Rs 25 billion, had benefited 6,985 deserving families. An allocation of Rs 2.5 billion had been made for the project in 2026-27.

He said 7,500 youth were being trained under a skills development programme, while educational stipends and merit scholarships were also being provided. In addition, Rs 435 million had been allocated under the Lent Programme to provide financial assistance to 32,600 deserving members of the Christian community.

To provide relief from inflation and ensure the availability of quality essential commodities at affordable prices, the Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority continued to expand its operations, he said. After an allocation of Rs 10 billion in 2025-26, the government had proposed Rs 19.34 billion for the authority in the next fiscal year.

The minister said Rs 1.43 billion had also been allocated for the upgradation of Sanatzars across Punjab, adding that five facilities had already been upgraded while work on five more was underway.

He added that more than 1.5 million people benefited from improved health, education and social protection services under the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP), which was implemented at a cost of over Rs 41 billion during the fiscal year 2025-26.