By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: The Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme is spreading fast particularly across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad before the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. Currently, over 10,000 transactions per day are being conducted with Ehsaas subsidy disbursals going up everyday.
“As the month of Ramzan nears, Ehsaas Rashan Riayat is all geared up to meet increased expected demand from deserving families. More than 15,000 Ehsaas NBP Rashan Riayat locations are ready throughout the country where eligible families can shop. More Kiryana stores are being added on a daily basis”, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar said in a press statement on Tuesday.
“Affiliated Kiryana stores can also be found nationwide by searching for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat signboard at a store or by typing “Ehsaas” on Google map to locate the nearest locations”, she further added.
Eligible families are being informed of their eligibility through 8171 in a phased manner. Beneficiaries are purchasing for the upcoming Ramadan as this subsidy is a significant relief for the deserving families. They are making use of accumulated subsidies of three months (Jan-Mar 2022). For those who have not used Rashan Riayat, the subsidy has not expired and they can use their accumulated subsidy for the periof from Jan to Mar which amounts to up to Rs. 3,000. On the other hand, Kiryana retailers are looking at Ehsaas Rashan Riayat as an opportunity to scale up business and support the local community. They find Ehsaas NBP mobile Point of Sale App intuitive and easy to use. Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced the roll out of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat on March 7, 2022.
The programme includes a 30 percent monthly subsidy on the purchase of three essential commodities; wheat flour, cooking oil, ghee and pulses. Rs. 106 billion will be disbursed to 20 million eligible families which equates to 130 million people.
Ehsaas 8171 SMS service is currently open to register families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. Families with monthly income below Rs. 50,000 can register themselves by sending their CNIC number to 8171.
The Ehsaas Rashan portal (https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/) is also open to register Kiryana retailers.
