Govt. to Relax Eligibility Criteria for Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme

The government is all set to relax eligibility threshold/criteria for accommodating more people under the “Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme” mainly daily wagers/labours, whose livelihood has been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced a relief package of Rs 200 billion for daily wagers/labours and another Rs 144 billion for relief of vulnerable families which are aimed at providing quick relief to all those who have been affected by the pandemic badly.

Govt. to Relax Eligibility Criteria for Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme

Sources said that around 93 percent data of low-income group is available with the government, collected under different household surveys for Benazir Income Support Programm (BISP). The government is likely to start disbursing the cash grant of Rs 12000 each next month to the deserving families affected by the negative impact of coronavirus. This cash program is part of the relief package announced by the Prime Minister.

Sources revealed that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme was approved for 10 million people, where Rs12, 000 would be provided per family. The government is targeting around 67 million people in total to benefit from the new plan. Daily wage earners/ labours are the top priority, whose livelihood has been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Sources said that there are three categories in the 10 million including 4.5 million existing “Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries (all women) already getting Rs 2000 will get extra Rs 1000 emergency relief (total Rs 3000) for the next four months.

Three million affectees would be identified through the national socio-economic database. Eligibility for the second category would be relaxed upward as the people who previously earned up to Rs 20,000 and have now suffered economic shock and are without livelihood would be helped. Daily wage earners/ labours who were not earlier fulfilling the required criteria are the top priority to be accommodated as they suffered they have been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Further, around 2.5 million to be identified through the Ehsaas SMS route. An SMS campaign, to be launched in two weeks which will allow others, not currently enrolled in the database to seek assistance. District Administrations will conduct assessments speedily after SMS is received.

Sources said that data analytics will be used to ensure that the system is not abused. CNICs of those declared eligible will be passed to Ehsaas partner banks Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Bank Alfalah and simultaneously an SMS message will be sent to them directing them to collect money through the nearest bank.