Waseela-e-Taleem to go into 26 districts across the country: Enver Baig

Waseela-e-Taleem (access to education) programme under Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) launched by Mr. Gordon Brown on November 9, 2012, has been successfully tested in 5 districts and the present government has fine-tuned the design and implementation arrangements and expanding it to 26 additional districts in all provinces of Pakistan, said Chairman BISP Enver Baig.

Chairman BISP was addressing the one day international conference on “Unfinished Agenda of Education in Pakistan: The Way Forward” organized by Ministry of Professional and Technical Training. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Gordon Brown, Former British Prime Minister and Special Envoy of Secretary General UN on Education along with Mian Muhammad Baleegh ur Rehman, Minister of State for education and interior attended the seminar.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Enver Baig said that he is honored to receive this task from Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, to expand the coverage of BISP and expedite investment in human capital, starting with promotion of education amongst the poorest beneficiaries of the Programme. He apprised the members of the conference about the Programme and added that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has a strong commitment to poverty alleviation through delivering targeted programmes to the poor as provided in the PML-N manifesto and the decision to continue further development and consolidation of “social protection system” developed under the programme by doubling its allocation in the current financial year budget is a strong testimony of this commitment.

Mr. Enver Baig explained that BISP believes in complimenting cash transfers with graduation programmes which provide these poor, access to income generating opportunities. He informed about the recent exploration of avenues for training and entrepreneurship development of the poorest to help them find job opportunities in the local and overseas market. He said that in order to make the social safety system effective BISP is linking up with various initiatives to deliver these services.