Peshawar, In a focused visit to the Workers Welfare Board in Hayatabad, Peshawar, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister of Labor, Fazal Shakur Khan, took stock of various welfare programs aimed at supporting workers in the region. Accompanied by the Secretary of the Workers Welfare Board and other officials, the minister received updates on key financial aid measures, including marriage and death grants, as well as educational scholarships for the children of workers.
According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during the briefing, it was disclosed to Minister Khan that although 200 million rupees had been approved for the marriage grant, only 93 million rupees have been disbursed by the Workers Welfare Fund Islamabad. Similarly, out of the 150 million rupees allocated for the death grant, just 42 million rupees have been released. This funding gap has affected the intended aid distribution, with only 338 beneficiaries receiving marriage grants and 70 benefiting from death grants to date.
The meeting also covered the progress of the Regi Lalma Flats, a labor complex consisting of 2,056 flats, where the external electrification work has been completed. Furthermore, the minister was informed about the annual practice of sending industry workers to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia through a lottery system.
Highlighting inefficiencies and underspending, Minister Khan issued directives to accelerate the completion of the labor complex and ordered legal action to vacate illegally occupied flats in labor colonies, ensuring that these are available for their rightful beneficiaries.
Minister Khan’s visit underscores the provincial government’s commitment to improving worker welfare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also highlights the challenges in fund release and utilization that hamper effective delivery of benefits.