While paying a closer look on the governance of current government of PTI led by PM Imran Khan with the previous government of PML-N under Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, one can easily construe the basic difference of leading from the front.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has set an unprecedented example of leadership by personally chairing important meetings where crucial decisions for the welfare of people of Pakistan were taken.
It is clear from the data that PM Khan took personal interest in resolving issues faced by the country. While Prime Minster Imran Khan chaired 101 Cabinet Meetings in two years, his predecessors chaired 79 meeting collectively in five years.
Similarly, the all-important sectors of economy and Ehsaas were prioritized by Prime Minister Imran Khan, where he held 60 and 24 meetings respectively.
During previous government of N-League, total number of 62 meetings on economy and only 20 meetings regarding BISP/ Ehsaas were held in their five years.
During previous regimes, most of important issues were left to the officials and the bureaucrats, but Prime Minister Imran Khan changed this trend by personally intervening and chairing the meeting for projects of public interest.
May be it is Ehsaas Program, COVID-19, Economic activities, NPHP or power sector, the Prime Minister led from the front by personally indulging in all important affairs.
If we simply view the Ehsaas Program, during the last two years, the present government has launched 15 programs worth Rs. 240 billion under Ehsaas which emerged as country’s largest-ever poverty eradication initiative conceived and launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Ehsaas Kafaalat program worth Rs. 120 billion was launched on January 31, 2020 to provide monthly payments of Rs. 2,000 through bank accounts and improved access to mobile phones for seven million disadvantaged women across the country. More than five million women have been included in the program to date.
The government has disbursed Rs 29 billion interest free loans among 844,000 borrowers under Ehsaas Interest Free Loans initiative. The program worth Rs. 42.65 billion involves 100 districts across the country and will impact 16.28 million people while 50% of the loan recipients are women.
The largest need and merit based Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship program was launched on November 04 for students belonging from low-income backgrounds with allocation of Rs. 20 billion for 200,000 scholarships over four-year. A total of Rs. 4.9 billion disbursed among 50,700 students in the first round of scholarships program for the year 2019-20.
On February 21, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the Ehsaas Amdan (Income) Program worth Rs. 15 billion to create earning opportunities for the most disadvantaged people through transfer of small income-generating assets. Launched in 375 rural union councils of 23 districts of Pakistan, the program will transfer 200,000 productive assets to deserving households (60% women and 30% youth), overall impacting 1.4 million individuals countrywide. To date, 27,000 small income generating assets have been transferred as a grant to deserving households across 23 districts..
Ehsaas Langar Scheme was launched on October 7, 2019 under an innovative public private partnership with Saylani Welfare Trust committing 112 “Langars” to open nationwide over two years, each feeding more than 600 laborers daily. Under this initiative, 12 Langars have been opened so far to feed 600 labourers everyday while work on others was underway while 100 Panagahs (shelters) would be set up countrywide to provide shelter to labourers and travellers.
Ehsaas Nashonuma program has been launched with focus on mother and child nutrition in nine districts (33 Nashonuma centres) in first phase to address stunting in children. This program has been designed to address the issue of stunted growth in mother and child. Specialized nutrition food, guidance and cash transfers will be given under this initiative.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash program worth Rs. 203 billion was launched in the context of COVID-19 to benefit 16.9 million households. The program disbursed Rs. 12,000 as a one-time grant among the deserving whose livelihood was affected due to the lockdown. The benefit spans across half of the country’s population. A total of Rs. 174.57 billion has been disbursed among 14,439,000 lockdown affected persons till August 20.
