PESHAWAR, Jan 11: The NWFP government has started disbursement of monthly stipend and subsistence allowance to unemployed graduate youth and elderly people in three earthquake-hit districts of Battagram, Kohistan and Shangla.

Provincial Minister for Zakat, Ushr and Social Welfare Hafiz Hashmat Ali inaugurated the programme by giving away cheques of the subsistence allowance to elderly persons of Battagram at the office of the district coordination officer on Thursday, said an official statement.

MPA Shah Husain, Secretary Zakat and Ushr Sultan Mehmood, social welfare director Sajjad Ahmed, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Dr Tariq Shirazi, local leaders of the MMA, local bodies’ representatives and a large number of beneficiaries were present on the occasion.

The provincial government had announced in its budget to grant Rs1,000 per month to every unemployed postgraduate youth of the province and Rs500 per head monthly subsistence allowance to the people of 70 years and above Battagram, Kohistan and Shangla.

The government has released Rs36 million to 24 districts for disbursement among unemployed graduates and Rs3 million to the three districts for the aged people.

The aid would be granted to deserving persons every year in two six-monthly instalments.

The provincial minister gave away cheques for the year 2006 and the next instalment would be due in July this year.

The minister directed the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to disburse the aid to the deserving people.

He stressed the need to involve MPAs and local bodies’ representatives in applications’ scrutiny process and asked DCOs concerned to make arrangements to distribute more cheques in the Allai area in Battagram, Kohistan and Shangla.