PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a new initiative to introduce a free meal program for primary school students, starting with a pilot project in Abbottabad and Swat.
This initiative aims to expand to other divisional headquarters throughout the province.
The program is set to benefit approximately 70,000 children, who will receive regular meals every day. The scheme, costing around Rs500 million annually, will be funded by the provincial government. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the Department of Social Welfare and private charitable organizations to formalize the collaboration.
A special committee, comprising officials from the Education and Social Welfare departments, will be established to monitor the progress of the free food program in schools.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, highlighted that this program is part of the provincial government’s broader welfare initiatives aimed at increasing school enrollment by providing standard meals to students at no cost.
In addition to this educational initiative, on July 11, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government also announced plans to provide free solar panel setups to 100,000 needy households in the province.
Muzammil Aslam, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Finance, explained in an interview with a foreign media outlet that the setup includes a two-kilowatt system with batteries, DC fans, and inverters.
He also noted that while the province generates electricity at Rs 6 to Rs 7 per unit, it is sold at Rs 27 per unit by WAPDA, underscoring the economic efficiency of the local power generation.
