Here’s how to register and buy subsidized food items through PM’s Ehsaas Ration program

The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar, has explained the details of the Ehsaas Ration program announced by the prime minister on Wednesday. She said that the registration of low-income families whose monthly salary was less than PKR 31,000 would begin from Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, she said that a web portal would be developed for this purpose. The families who will be considered eligible will be able to obtain daily use items like flour, oil, sugar, and pulses at subsidized rates from Utility Stores and retail stores (Kiryana shops). Small retail stores opened even in streets and localities will also provide this facility if registered and authorized for this system.

How will beneficiaries be identified for the program?

The SAPM said that the beneficiaries would be identified with the help of the new Ehsaas National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) Survey.

“A web portal will go live on Monday (on the 8th of November). People who want to benefit from the Ehsaas Ration Program will have to register on the portal with their National Identity Cards and a mobile number issued on that NIC, ” explained te SPAM.

Dr. Nishtar also asked those who wish to benefit from the program to get a subscriber identity module or SIM card issued on their NIC.

After registration, NIC numbers will be verified against data collected through the Ehsaas survey.

The list of eligible people for the scheme will be displayed within three or four weeks after reviewing the process with the help of the Ehsaas database, she added.

Requirements

She stressed that those who want to benefit from the scheme must have their valid registered mobile numbers and their Computerized National Identity Card.

The registered consumers will be able to buy Rashan from the selected Kiryana or utility stores on a 30% subsidy after issuing Rashan cards to them.

Ehsaas has developed a digitally facilitated mobile point of sale operation in collaboration with the National Bank of Pakistan to help beneficiaries through a network of Kiryana stores all over Pakistan.

Here is how you can register?

Speaking about the registration process, The SPAM said, ” the Kiryana merchants would require downloading the relevant app on their Android phones, entering the customers’ CNIC numbers, and passing on the benefits after authentication from the back end immediately.”

The customer will receive a verification code which the Kiryana merchant will enter in the app.

After completing the registration process, this system would be functional within three to four weeks, said Dr. Sania.

The Kiryana retailers having a valid bank account to get the subsidy amount from any corner of the country will be eligible to register under the program after physical verification.

Dr. Sania said that the government would also benefit the registered merchants on the subsidy amount and encourage them to serve maximum people.

Eligibility criteria

Sania Nishtar further informed that the Ehsaas Rashan Program would cover 20 million households across the country with a poverty score of less than 39 and an income of PKR 31,000 per month.

She said that the Ehsaas had gathered socio-economic data of 38 million households, making it easier to launch new programs.

Watch the press conference here:

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