A helpline is being set up to provide protection to minorities:CM Punjab

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi has said that Punjab government has decided to take many important steps aimed at uplift and welfare of the disabled, the deserving, the needy, widows and minorities. He said a dedicated helpline is being set up in the Punjab Information Technology Board to provide protection to minorities and women facing violence.

He said that women and minorities will be able to get their complaints registered at this helpline. He said help desks would also be established, throughout the province, for protection of minorities and women suffering from violence, while, in Punjab, under Skills Development Funds programmes, two percent quota would be earmarked for the disabled boys and girls, five percent quota would be reserved for minorities, whereas 50 percent quota would be allocated to women.

Chief Minister was presiding over a high-level meeting at Chief Minister’s Secretariat today. Provincial Minister for Population Welfare Salima Hashmi, Secretary Special Education, Secretary Zakat & Ushr, DG Social Welfare Department, Vice Chairman Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, Managing Director of Punjab Education Foundation and other concerned officers were present on the occasion. During the meeting, short-term welfare project for betterment of the deserving, needy, disabled, special children, widows and minorities was reviewed, and many important decisions were taken.

Addressing the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi said that ensuring provision of rights to special children, needy, widows and minorities is the collective responsibility of all segments of the society, along with the government and no person or institution can be allowed to violate their rights. He said, with the establishment of helpline in Punjab Information Technology Board, the deserving persons will be able to have their voice heard in the corridors of power, whereas all necessary steps would be taken for prompt redressal of their grievances. He said, in the offices of DCOs of every district, a helpline would be established to protect rights of women, who are victim of violence, besides the rights to the minorities, as well as immediate redressal of their grievances. He said Punjab government has decided to allocate at least two percent quota for the disabled persons, two percent quota for the minorities and 50 percent quota for women in the voucher scheme of Punjab Education Foundation. He informed that two percent seats are being reserved for the disabled boy and girl students, in all government schools, colleges and universities. Najam Sethi further directed that five percent seats should be earmarked for the disabled persons in all vocational training institutes of PVTC and TEVTA.

He said the disabled girl and boy students would be exempted from quality assurance test. He pointed out that local government institutions, from union council to metropolitan level, would be duty bound to allocate two percent of their budget for rehabilitation of the disabled children, and three percent funds for disabled persons. Chief Minister directed that ten percent budget from Zakat and Bait-ul-Mal funds should be allocated for rehabilitation of the disabled persons, while special ramps should be constructed, in government buildings, for convenience of the disabled persons.

He said the caretaker government would do, whatever it can, for uplift and betterment of the deserving and needy persons, as the resource-less segments of the society must be provided greater convenience and comfort. During the meeting, Secretary Special Education, Secretary Zakat & Ushr and DG Social Welfare gave a detailed briefing.