Voucher scheme a good initiative for family planning: Faisal Karim Kundi

Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi Wednesday said that the voucher scheme launched by the Population Council is a good family planning initiative for poor families.

This scheme should be extended countrywide so that more families can benefit from it. He expressed these views while addressing as a special guest at a seminar organized by the Population Council in Islamabad.

He further said that such schemes should be linked with social safety programs, like BISP at the federal and provincial levels.

Faisal Kundi invited all partner institutions, civil society, NGOs and provincial departments to work together with BISP for implementing similar programs that provide better health outcomes for the poorest women and their children.

Highlighting the working of BISP and its various initiatives, the Minister of State informed the participants that a dynamic survey under BISP is going to be launched from January 15 which will be conducted by BISP tehsil offices.

He further said that 8.7 million deserving families are benefiting under the Benazir Kafaalat program. Rs. 7000 is being distributed quarterly to each family under this programme.

Faisal Karim Kundi said that 70 billion rupees have been distributed to 2.8 million flood-affected families under BISP.

He further said that educational stipends for children registered in schools of deserving families have also been released and about 13 billion rupees will be provided for these scholarships.

He said that it has been decided to include Transgenders in the Kafaalat program under BISP, who can benefit from the financial assistance under Benazir Kafaalat program by registering themselves as Transgenders in NADRA.