Ameliorating lot of the poor

PRIME Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani while addressing a big gathering of people at his hometown in Multan has said the Government was determined to address the numerous challenges through prudent policies and work for ameliorating the lot of the poor. He referred to poverty alleviation as priority and provision of employment a key element of the planning of his Government.

According to statistics 25 per cent of our population lives below the poverty line and just over fifty per cent constituted the middle class. These people voted to power to the PPP hoping that their problems would be addressed because the party is considered as pro poor. Though Mr Gilani visited his constituency a bit late yet went there well prepared to announce a number of schemes in education and health sectors in addition to distributing cheques among deserving people. Through briefings he has received from different Ministries he is well aware of the problems of the masses and top among them are unaffordable prices of wheat flour and frequent and unannounced power breakdowns. Standard of education and health facilities at Government run institutions and hospitals is deplorable. Private sector institutions and hospitals are meeting most of the requirements of well off but beyond the reach of the poor masses. Baitul Mall and Zakat systems have limited capacity to partially help the poverty stricken people. People expected the new governments at the Centre and in the provinces that they would pay immediate attention to their grievances but it appears that they have single item agenda of restoration of deposed judges. Yes an independent judiciary is essential as Mr Gilani quoted British Premier Churchill for the country but ordinary citizens have no interest in philosophical issues and they want practical steps to be seen on the ground otherwise they would lose faith in the new set-up. Nobody objects to restoration of the honorable deposed judges or dialogue with the extremist groups to restore law and order but it is essential for the Prime Minister to focus his attention to check price hike, bring an end to load shedding and take new initiatives to boost agricultural and industrial production as these will help create job opportunities and ameliorate the lot of the masses.