ISLAMABAD, Jun 8 (APP): An amount of Rs 6.04 billion has been provided to Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) during the Fiscal Year 2023 to provide assistance to the destitute and needy persons through executing various core projects and schemes, according to the Economic Survey 2022-23.
The Survey was launched by Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar during a press conference here on Thursday.
The PBM has envisioned providing wheelchairs to every person with disability in the country. A family having two or more children with disabilities has been declared a “special family” and is benefiting from Rs. 30,000/- annually, whereas the family with two special children are being provided financial assistance of Rs 60,000/- per annum, the pre-budget document said.
An amount of Rs 1.27 billion has been disbursed countrywide for the period July to March FY 2023. b). Schools for Rehabilitation of Child Labour (SRCLs): PBM has established National Centres for Rehabilitation of Child Labour countrywide since 1995 for primary (non-formal) education. Children (male & female) between the ages of 5-6 years are weaned away from hazardous labour and enrolled in these centers with free provision of uniforms, books and stationery. During July-March FY2023 Rs 764.24 million has been disbursed for the purpose.
An amount of Rs 441.18 million has been utilized for the period July to March FY 2023 for Women Empowerment Centres (WECs), which are providing free training to widows, orphans and poor girls in different skills.
Similarly, Rs 511.27 million has been spent on Pakistan Sweet Homes (PSHs), established for orphan children, where they are being provided free food, nutrition, medical treatment, boarding and lodging, as well as, free education through well-reputed education institutes.
Old homes are established to enroll senior citizens (above 60 years of age) where they are being provided free of cost boarding/lodging, messing and medical care.
An amount of Rs 5.48 million has been utilized for that purpose. While an amount of Rs 122.28 million has been utilized for PBM Shelter Homes, earlier named ‘Panagahs’, incurring all the expenditures by curtailing funds from its ongoing programmes mainly focus on quality service delivery to the shelter-less persons, by taking care of multiple aspects including health care, safe/secure living environment, hygienic food etc. in a respectable manner.
PBM being an executing agency of Roti Sab KeLeay formally named EKBNS, has procured food vehicles to deliver the food to the poorest segment of the society and during July 2022 to March 2023, an amount of Rs 31.95 million has been utilized for that purpose.
According to the document, an amount of Rs 29.52 million has been disbursed for Institutional Rehabilitation for NGOs, aimed at institutional rehabilitation of the poor and deserving persons of society.
Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) is playing a vital role in social security by paying pensions and grants to retired. Similarly, Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) provides services in health, education and low-cost housing sector to industrial workers.
During July-March, FY2023, expenditures amounting to Rs 2.94 billion were incurred on 16,231 scholarship cases, while Rs 691.51 million were disbursed as marriage grants to Rs 200,000/- per worker benefitting 4,377 workers’ families.
The WWF has also disbursed Rs 780.96 million as a death grant Rs. 600,000/- per worker– covering 1,425 cases of mishaps all over the country.