The Waseela-e-Taleem initiative of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will be launched by April, enrolling one million under privileged children in schools. Talking to APP, a BISP official said the beneficiaries, aged between 6 to 12 years will get free quality education under this initiative. Around one million children would be registered in the schools in the first phase. However, the programme has planned to enroll 10 million children. Three children’s families will also be given cash grants on the condition of ensuring registration of their children, the official said. The conditional cash amount for each beneficiary family will be Rs 200 per child, the official said.
The practical measures are being taken to redress the grievances of the people and the programme is striving to eradicate poverty in the country. Around 99 percent of the first ever door to door survey has been completed and as a result more than 6 million beneficiary families have been included in the programme, however, the number will reach seven million after the completion of the survey in FATA. BISP has also planned to impart vocational and technical training to female beneficiaries and training are being conducted for master trainers in 50 trades in collaboration with China. 150,000 beneficiaries will be given technical training to produce skilled manpower for the country every year which will enable these families to become self-reliant.
Vocational courses of one month, six months and one year duration have been announced both for men and women. Each trainee be also be given a monthly stipend of Rs 6,000. Besides other benefits, the beneficiary families are entitled to receive Rs. 100,000 in case of death of their bread earner, under the Life Insurance scheme. About ensuring transparent transfer of cash grant to its beneficiaries, the BISP has also introduced the Benazir Smart Card in some districts on pilot basis which will be expanded to other districts across the country.
