Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved an additional Rs43.2 billion for the Ration Card programme this year, on top of Rs28 billion already disbursed to 1.2 million registered workers under the scheme.
An official statement issued on Monday said the number of registered workers in Punjab has reached a record 1,403,063. Of these, 1,244,130 workers have already received their Ration Cards, while another 4,984 cards are currently being printed.
Under the programme, registered workers can obtain essential commodities worth Rs3,000 per month from 62,000 shops across the province.
The chief minister also approved the Ration Card Programme for the financial year 2026-27. More than 100,000 workers associated with the Suthra Punjab programme are also benefiting from the initiative.
Chairing a review meeting, the chief minister directed authorities to further expand the number of registered workers across the province. Labour Minister Manshaullah Butt and Secretary Labour Danish Afzal briefed the meeting on the programme in detail.
The chief minister said ensuring the financial protection of every labourer and worker was her responsibility, and directed that the number of beneficiaries under the ration card project be increased further.
