PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has established 19 model shelter homes in different districts to provide quality accommodation facilities to shelter less and poor people during harsh weather conditions.
Out of these shelter homes, eight were established by Pakistan Baitul Mall in different districts of the province.
“Establishment of shelter homes is a great step of PTI Govt as the past government’s did not pay any heed to the plights of homeless people, ” Younas Afridi, District Officer, Social Welfare Department told REPORTER on Tuesday.
Restoring the dignity and self-respect of shelter-less and destitute, the shelter homes established under the Prime Minister’s vision to turn Pakistan into Madinah-like social welfare state, has started delivering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where hundreds of thousands of underprivileged and vulnerable segments benefited in the province most vulnerable to climate change.
Being the brainchild of Prime Minister Imran Khan, shelter homes working under the supervision of Social Welfare Department and Pakistan Baitul Mall were unique projects of the PTI Government facilitated a large numbers of poor and homeless people, senior citizens, needy women and children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2018.
He said the main objective behind establishing of shelter homes was to restore self-respect of shelter less who spend nights under open sky and provide quality accommodation and meal to them free of charge.
These facilities are aimed at broadening the circle of social responsibility between the state and citizens.
KP government have setup a model shelter home at Pachagi Road Peshawar where all modern facilities including free breakfast, meal, transport and others services being provided to shelterless since 2018. He said currently, we have 100-bed capacity at Pachagai shelter home and efforts was on to increase it before harsh winter season.
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, he said, adding over 1, 30, 000 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 for stay.
KP government and Pakistan Baitul Mal have recently inked an agreement for establishing shelter homes in the province. As per the agreement, 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 REPORTER 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, 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.
PTI government 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 launched it in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Ehsas 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 run with cooperation while Selani Trust that 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 freshly 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 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 the 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 program and Pakistan Baitul Mall have planned to extend it to Khyber, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mardan, Malakand and DI Khan districts in near future.
‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye Program is a key step towards realization of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of the social welfare state.
The provincial government is going all out to give maximum relief to vulnerable segments of the society under these programs
As many as 39 projects amounting to Rs888 million including 15 new with allocation of Rs412 million and 21 ongoing with Rs475 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 Rs93 million. Similarly, Rs450 million would be spent on establishment of 12 Detoxification Unit and Drugs Addicts Rehabilitation Centres, Rs500 million for construction and purchase of land for Zamong Kor in Swat and Rs200 million for enhancement of Darul Aman one each in Peshawar, Mardan, Haripur, Manshera, Abbottabad and Swat besides establishment of seven child protection units costing Rs160 million.
PTI 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 Ehsaas Rashan Program is being widely appreciated across Pakistan including KP that would provide relief to over 130 million people.