ALL political parties introduce short-term development or welfare programmes to keep intact their vote bank. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was one such programme.

This left the underprivileged section of society dependent on such dole-outs and did not provide any sustainable base of earning. The Ehsaas programme launched by the sitting government will also increase the dependence of the poor on the government.

Keeping in view the unprecedented inflation we are living with today, whatever is being doled out to the poor is nothing but peanuts. This will only increase their dependence on welfare programmes.

Instead, the government needs to provide professional training in different trades to our disadvantaged population so that they may have sustainable income and are not a financial burden on the government and the national exchequer.

It has been rightly said: “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Let’s follow the maxim.

Shakir H. Shamim
Skardu

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2021