CM Mahmood Khan approves plan to give food items to insecure households in merged areas

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has accorded approval to a proposed plan to distribute food items to the insecure households on monthly basis as a safety net to end inequality and eliminate malnutrition in the merged tribal districts.

Presiding over an important meeting in this regard, the chief minister said that overall objective of this initiative was to provide effective and comprehensive safety nets to the marginalised and vulnerable segments of the population by distributing food items to severely and moderately food insecure households of merged tribal districts.

The proposed plan is part of “Ehsaas Programme” , which will be initiated as pilot project in Orakzai tribal district with the technical assistance of World Food Programme (WFP). Following the successful launch and implementation of this programme, the Orakzai model can also be replicated in other prioritised tribal districts, said a handout. The meeting was briefed thoroughly about the mechanism and way forward of the project.

It was told that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through its Bureau of Statistics has carried out a comprehensive food security and livelihood assessment in all the merged districts with the technical and financial assistance of World Food Programme Pakistan and Pakistan Bureau of Statistic. According to the proposed plan, Ehsaas Pilot Project would be launched in Orakzai with the highest (62 per cent) proportion of food insecure household across the merged districts. While briefing about the food distribution mechanism, it was told that targeted households will receive entitlements for a month or a full quarter (three months) and will be able to redeem the voucher in multiple purchases in identified retailer shops. A smart card would be provided for the purpose. With this assistant package each member of targeted household will receive virtual food basket including wheat flour, pulses, cooking oil, salt and sugar at total cost of Rs1846.4 per month. The total cost for Orakzai pilot project for 12 months is estimated as $4.515 million. While briefing about the coordination and implementation mechanism, it was informed that project management unit (PMU) will be set up, which would be responsible for overseeing day to day implementation to ensure coherence and effective monitoring of outputs. The chief minister principally agreed with the proposed plan and said that the provincial government will go all out to ensure effective implementation of Ehsaas Program with special focus on merged tribal districts.