KARACHI, June 7: The new government has abandoned four welfare schemes -- two on the national level and two in Balochistan -- initiated by President Musharraf for employment and providing sustenance to the poor.

The schemes included National Internship Programme (NIP), Presidents Rozgar Scheme, and free-distribution of animals and chicks among small farmers and widows in Balochistan.

Under the NIP, in Sindh about 5,000 graduates were employed for one year and were accommodated in various government departments as well as universities and colleges. The scheme was launched in April last year and internee groups were sent to the S&GD department for placement during 2007 and the beginning of this year.

However, in early 2008 after the election the finance stopped reimbursement to the AG Sindh for salaries of the internees. Those completing one year were asked to leave.

The President’s Rozgar scheme was also abandoned in the beginning of this year after the election of the People’s Party government.

The scheme involved providing three-wheelers to the jobless through the National Bank of Pakistan on easy installments

The president’s scheme for development of livestock in Balochistan was launched in 2006 under which poor farmers, who lost their animals in famine and floods during subsequent years were given 10 goats free of cost to revive their farming activity which was the only source of income for the poor.

The scheme was launched for two years from 2006 to 2008 after reports that 50 to 60 per cent animals died in draught and floods.

The province, however, did not receive funds from Islamabad in 2007 and 2008 for subsequent phases of the scheme.

However, 500 deserving farmers, who were identified during a survey, are still waiting for animals to generate livelihood from animals.

Similarly, under another scheme launched in 2007 widows were identified in different districts in Balochistan for free distribution of 10 hens per family to help them generate some income for their livelihood. However, the scheme was abandoned this year as no new chicks were distributed among the widows.

Under the first phase of the scheme, about 5,000 chicks were distributed among widows to earn their livelihood.

Meanwhile, doctors at the Gwadar Veterinary Hospital told Dawn on telephone that the quota of medicines for the hospital, which is 25 years old, has been reduced from five per cent to one per cent. The other districts of the province have 20 to 30 per cent medicine quota.

The districts are provided Rs1 million to 1.8 million for purchase of medicines for animals, whereas the Gwadar Hospital is provided only Rs0.4 million for medicines. Despite its meager resources, the hospital treated 50 to 60 thousand animals in Gwadar and surrounding villages during 2007-08

As a result of shortage of staff and medicine, livestock in Gwadar district has been seriously affected and animals are dying in pneumonia, diarrhea and from a disease caused by a fly.

The depletion of livestock in the district has caused shortage of milk and meat and their prices are several times higher as compared to other areas in the province.

In Gwadar, milk is selling at Rs50 to 60 per litre and curd at Rs70 per litre. The price of meat is Rs400 per kg compared to Rs240 in Karachi and other big cities. The veterinary experts said that milk and meat prices could be brought down provided schemes are undertaken for development of livestock in the province which is rich in farm animals.

The main component of the livestock wealth in the province are goats and sheep with the former making 70 per cent of the total lot.