PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday approved formation of a high level committee to introduce reforms in social welfare department and streamline its activities.

A statement issued here said that the committee would consist of parliamentarians, administrative secretaries of relevant departments and other officials.

The chief minister chaired a meeting to review progress of social welfare department and said that the committee should come up with solid and feasible proposals to that effect within a month.

The meeting was attended by MPA Dr Sumera Shams, Social Welfare Secretary Manzoor Ahmad, Finance Secretary Atif Rehman and other officials.

The chief minister said that establishment of shelter homes was a pro-poor initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan for the protection of the marginalised and vulnerable segments of society.

He directed the social welfare department to take necessary steps to make shelter homes in the province functional and ensure availability of all the basic facilities to them. He ordered the authorities to make sure that no homeless person spends night in the open during the ongoing winter season in the province.

In order to ensure transparency in the distribution of Zakat fund and to minimise human intervention in the process, Mr Khan directed the social welfare department to devise a transparent mechanism for distribution of funds among deserving people.

He also ordered the authorities concerned to expedite work on the proposed bills regarding child abuse, child marriage and domestic violence.

He asked the relevant authorities to finalise draft of child marriage bill in consultation with religious scholars.

Showing dissatisfaction over the performance of shelter homes in the province, the chief minister directed the quarters concerned to submit a detailed report on the overall matters of the shelter homes so that necessary steps could be taken to improve their capacity.

He also asked for a report regarding the officials of the department working on the same post for more than two years. He directed the high ups of the department to launch an awareness campaign regarding the helpline established for registering online complaints regarding violence against women and children.

The meeting was informed that eight shelter homes were being established in the province on permanent basis for which an agreement was signed with Pakistan Baitul Maal.

The project would cost Rs680 million out of which the provincial government would provide Rs340.00 million.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2020