KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar directed Social Protection Department to develop and efficiently implement an overarching need-driven and rights-based cross-sectoral social protection strategy for poverty-stricken districts, including katchi abadies and slum areas of Karachi.

“Poverty ratio in katchi abadis, slum areas and rural areas of Karachi is equally higher as of rural areas of province, therefore Karachi must be included in social protection programme,” according to statement issued from CH House.

He issued these directives while presiding over meeting to review its progress. Meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Dr. Fakhre Alam, Vice Chairman Social Protection Board Haris Gazdar, Chairman P&D Shakeel Manijo, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Finance Kazim Jatoi, Haris Gazdar, CEO Social Protection, Samiullah Shaikh.

Vice Chairman Haris Gazdar and CEO Samiullah Shaikh briefed caretaker CM about department and its programme launched by government. CM was told that under Sindh Social Protection Strategy an effective Management Information System (MIS) for social registry has been developed. Under programme two feasibility studies-food security-bhook mitao-programme and Benazir Women Agriculture Workers programme have been conducted. Mother and Child Support Programme and nutrition conditional cash transfer has been launched. Programme in being implemented as pilot MCSP in two districts- Tharparkar and Umerkot to enable uptake of maternal and child health services by vulnerable rural women. 

CM was told that MIS has been established where 62,000 pregnant women have been enrolled and Rs 165 million have been disbursed.

Under first component, task is to establish an appropriate institutional framework to improve formulation, functional consolidation and coordination, policy planning, delivery and monitoring of social protection interventions while also strengthening administrative capacities.

Second component is `Mother and Child Support Programme’ includes strengthening and increasing scale of Mother and Child Support Programme via conditional cash transfer to pregnant women and mothers of under 2-year-old children encouraging them to utilise maternal, newborn and child healthcare services throughout continuum of care for 1,000 days from conception.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 03 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.