The provincial government of Sindh has approved quarterly cash payments of Rs3,000 for children from birth to age five under its social protection programme.
The Sindh Social Protection Authority board held its third meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday to expand coverage.
The board approved new cash assistance covering 885,000 children and rural women across the province during the official meeting held this week.
Children from birth to five years of age will receive Rs3,000 every three months under the newly approved early childhood development scheme.
Rural women will also receive monthly financial support during non-productive periods as part of the expanded social protection framework announced Wednesday.
Rs14 Billion Early Childhood Development Project
The board approved a Rs14 billion early childhood development project aimed at improving nutrition, health monitoring, and educational readiness across Sindh.
Regular monitoring of child growth, nutritional guidance, and school readiness will be ensured under this newly approved large-scale provincial development project.
The Istehkam Fund was introduced to protect rural women from debt burdens and food insecurity during economically vulnerable periods throughout the year.
Mamta Programme Expansion
The Mamta Programme has been made active across 22 districts of the province, currently benefiting more than one million people throughout the province of Sindh.
The board decided to extend the programme to seven additional districts, bringing more families into the provincial maternal and child support network.
Mamta Desks will be established at district and taluka headquarters hospitals to improve access and service delivery for enrolled beneficiaries.
The programme will also be extended to underserved areas in Karachi and Hyderabad, reaching more vulnerable urban communities under this expansion plan.
Payments and Budget
A new hybrid payment model was approved to ensure timely payments to mothers, covering both complete and partial payments for pregnancies and young children.
The board approved a budget of Rs2.29 billion for the financial year 2026–27 to fund the authority’s operations and programme delivery.
Various social protection programmes are currently running under a total budget of Rs56 billion across different departments and initiatives in the province.
Audit, human rights, legal, and investigative committees were approved to ensure full transparency and accountability across all social protection spending.
