ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar Wednesday said that the Ehsaas programme emerged as the largest social protection program in the history of the country through benefiting almost half of the country’s population.

Highlighting the three years of the government and Ehsaas program through a statement issued today, the SAPM said that the present government has doubled the social protection budget unlike the previous governments.

Ehsaas has utilized the entire budget during the last three years through providing benefits to the marginalized segments of society, she said. Dr. Nishtar said that 100 million people benefited from Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme which is half of the country’s population. Ehsaas Emergency Cash has been declared as the third largest social protection program in the world, she observed.

This year, 10 million families will be provided social security benefits and stipends, in fact 70 million people will benefit.

Children studying in any class from the registered families in all districts will benefit from Ehsaas educational scholarships, she said.

The SAPM said that 50 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers are operational in the 14 districts of the country for the prevention of stunting disease while the scope of the program is being expanded soon.

Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships were provided to 142,000 students in two years. 

This is the largest scholarship program in the history of the country, she said.

Dr. Nishtar highlighted that Ehsaas One Window Policy was approved and the first One Window Center is operational in Islamabad.

She conveyed that the One Window Centers will be opened in every district of the country.

Ehsaas Amdan and Ehsaas Interest Free Loan programmes are continued in 110 districts of the country and benefiting about 50,000 households monthly, Dr. Nishtar said.

The SAPM termed the nationwide completion of the Ehsaas survey as another milestone.

She said that Ehsaas was declared an exemplary program by the World Bank saying that other countries of the world can learn from this program.

The first phase of Ehsaas Building and Rebuilding initiative has been completed and the report will be released next week, Dr. Nishtar said.