KARACHI: (Monday, April 29, 2024) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired the inaugural meeting of the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA) Board on Monday, delving into the progress of the Mamta Program Mother & Child Support Program. Alongside, the board greenlit the feasibility studies for the Bhook Mitao Programme and Benazir Women Agriculture Workers Support Programme.
These initiatives target the most vulnerable segments of society and are slated for launch following the successful completion of their feasibility studies. The session saw attendance from esteemed board members, including Minister for Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister for Education Syed Sardar Shah, Minister for Labour Shahid Thahim, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Social Protection Rafiq Mustafa Shaikh, Vice Chairman of the SSPA Board Haris Gazdar, CEO SSPA Samiullah Shaikh, Dr Sono Khanghrani, Prof Amar Sindhu, Shabnam Baloch, and Asma Hyder Baloch.
During the meeting, the Secretary Social Protection Department, Rafiq Mustafa Shaikh, and CEO of SSPA Samiullah Shaikh provided detailed insights into the Mamta Programme. Additionally, the board was briefed on the Strengthening Social Protection Service Delivery System in Sindh (SSPDSS). This World Bank-supported initiative, totaling $200 million, focuses on three components including the Mamta program across 15 predominantly rural districts of Sindh, prioritizing those with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
The SSPA provides conditional cash transfers of Rs30,000 to eligible beneficiaries over 1,000 days to approximately, primarily pregnant and lactating women. Currently, 152,349 women have been registered, with eligible beneficiaries receiving Rs313.2 million disbursed under the program. The Mamta Program will serve 1.31 million beneficiaries during the project tenure.
Further, the board gave the green light to the Bhook Mitao Programme and the Benazir Women Agriculture Workers Support Programme. The Bhook Mitao Program, a Food Security Programme, seeks to implement a combination of tools and scientific methodologies to address food security issues among vulnerable groups. The Benazir Women Agriculture Support Programme endeavors to offer social protection to women working in the agriculture sector through a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program. This initiative will require registered beneficiaries to visit health facilities for medical check-ups during and after pregnancy. To ensure the program’s effectiveness and seamless implementation, SSPA intends to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study.
