Shelter-homes restore self-respect of destitute people

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Shelter-homes restore self-respect of destitute people

The shelter homes established under the PM Imran Khan's vision to restore dignity and self-respect of shelter-less and destitute people

www.app.com.pk

Fakhar Alam

PESHAWAR, Sep 26 (APP):The shelter homes established under the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to restore dignity and self-respect of shelter-less and destitute people have started delivering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where hundreds of thousands underprivileged and vulnerable segments were benefited who were most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

About 19 model shelter-homes working under the supervision of Social Welfare Department government of KP and Pakistan Baitul Mall was unique project of the PTI government facilitating large numbers of poor and homeless people, senior citizens, needy women and children in the province since 2018.

“Establishment of shelter homes is a great step of the government as the past government’s did not pay any heed to the plights of homeless people,” Younas Afridi, District Officer, Social Welfare Department told APP on Tuesday.

He said that KP has taken a lead role by establishing 19 model shelter homes including eight by Pakistan Baitul Mall in different districts of the province and has started delivering to poor.

“In line with PM’s vision, the KP government has setup a model shelter home at Pachagi Road Peshawar where all modern facilities including free breakfast, meal, transport and others services are being provided to shelterless since 2018.

“Currently, we have 100-bed capacity and efforts was on to increase it before harsh winter season,’ he said. “Pachagi shelter homes is a prime choice of shelter less, destitute and underprivileged segment of the society where free services including night accommodation are also being provided to passengers of other districts and easy accessibility,” he said, adding over one lakh people have been benefited only from Pachagai shelter home established three years ago in heart of Peshawar City.

Thousands of neglected persons, who used to sleep under bridges, flyovers, road dividers and shrines, have been provided free accommodation and meal services at this dignified place during their stay, he added.

He said the KP government and Pakistan Baitul Mall have recently inked an agreement for establishing shelter homes in the province. As per the agreement, he said eight new shelter homes would be established including two in Peshawar and one each in all divisional headquarters of KP.

These new shelter homes would be established with an estimated cost of Rs680 million including 50pc each share by KP Government and Pakistan Baitul Mall. Fayaz Khan, Assistant Director, Pakistan Baitul Mall told APP that eight shelter homes have already been established by his organization including one each in Kohat, Bannu, DI Khan, Mardan, Swat, Abbottabad and Charsadda Road in Peshawar.

Keeping in view of the climate change’s vulnerability and harsh winter season in KP, he said, work on establishment of a model shelter home on University Road, Peshawar has been expedited and hopefully would be made operational before start of winter season. A modern shelter home would also be established at Torkhum near Pak-Afghan Border to protect poor passengers from harsh weather conditions.

Fayaz said the PTI government’s pro-poor Ehsas program ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye (no one sleep without meal) has been launched in Peshawar as pilot project where poor, labourers and under privileged were being provided free meal on ‘Food Trucks’ who do not have access to shelter homes.

This program has been extended to Peshawar, Lahore and Faisalabad after Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched it in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye Program’ was launched with the collaboration of Provincial Social Welfare Department, Pakistan Baitul Mall and Selani Welfare Trust, he said, adding food trucks are being provided to Pakistan Baitul Mall for operation while Selani Trust is arranging food items.

Pakistan Baitul Mall has been assigned with task to launch “meals on wheels” program with the objective of “Koi Bhooka Na Soye” for provision of two times hygienic fresh cooked food to needy individuals by mobile units in urban and rural areas on different routs of Peshawar.

Initially, one vehicle is covering Industrial Estate Hayatabad, Karkhano Market, Hayatabad Medical Complex Hospital, Board Bazar and Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar. The second vehicle cover Stadium Chowk Saddar, Dabgari Gardens, City Hospital Kohat Road and Ring Road (Wakho Pull stop while the third route is Khyber Bazar, LRH Hospital, Lahore Adda and Haji Camp Ada and fourth route is Chargano Chowk, Charsadda Adda, MMC Hospital and Ring Road (GT Road crossing).

Fayaz Khan said a large number of poor segment of the society were benefited from ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ and that Pakistan Baitul Mall have planned to extend it to Khyber, Haripur, ABbottabad, Mardan, Malakand and DI Khan districts in near future. Mohibullah Khan, Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock told APP that ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye Program’ was a key step towards realization of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of the social welfare state, adding the provincial government was going all out to give maximum relief to vulnerable segments of the society under these programs.

As many as 39 projects amounting to Rs. 888 million including 15 new with allocation of Rs. 412 million and 21 ongoing with Rs. 475 million included in Annual Development Program 2021-22 including establishment of shelter homes in each divisional headquarter and rehabilitation of existing 11 inns amounting to Rs. 93 million.

Similarly, Rs. 450 million would be spent on establishment of 12 Detoxification Unit and Drugs Addicts Rehabilitation Centres, Rs. 500 million for construction and purchase of land for ‘Zamong Kor’ in Swat and Rs. 200 million for enhancement of Darul Aman one each in Peshawar, Mardan, Haripur, Manshera, Abbottabad and Swat besides establishment of seven child protection units costing Rs. 160 million.

He said the government has launched numerous pro-poor initiatives including Ehsaas Cash, Kifalat, Education, Stipends and ‘Nashunuma’ to combat problems of stunted growth and malnutrition in children, promote education and alleviate poverty.

The Minister said the decades long shackles of inequality has been broken by the government after launching of uniform education system, free of charge treatment under Sehat Cards, billions trees afforstration project to combat climate change challenges, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Swat Motorway projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said these mega projects were benefiting millions of people besides expediting pace of economic development, promoting tourism and transport services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.