163,419 category-3 beneficiaries paid out emergency cash worth Rs. 1.961 billion.

ISLAMABAD -- As many as 163,419 beneficiaries of Category-3 of Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program identified through district administration have been paid out Rs 1.961 billion.

The payment disbursement to beneficiaries under category-3 of the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program was started from May 8.

Concurrently, payments to category 2 beneficiaries, who entered the program through 8171 SMS service, are also underway, said a news release.

So far, 2.945 million category 2 beneficiaries have been served Ehsaas Emergency Cash worth Rs. 35.347 billion and payments are still ongoing.

Category-2 recipients had expressed demand through the 8171 SMS service that closed on April 19, 2020 and their eligibility is being ascertained through the databases of the National Socioeconomic Registry 2010 and 2020.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation remarked, 'The emergency cash transfers are providing purchasing power to labour class to buy food rations and meet their needs.' Talking about the delivery of final messages to applicants, she added, 'All applicants of Ehsaas Emergency Cash program who fall under categories II and III will get the final SMS messages from 8171 regarding payment or rejection based on their eligibility by the end of current week.'

Payments to category 1 that includes regular Kafaalat beneficiaries have almost been completed with Rs. 54.303 billion paid out to 4.403 million beneficiaries.

Cumulatively, so far, 7.512 million deserving families under categories I, II and III of Ehsaas Emergency Cash...