Updated: June 9, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched One Window Ehsaas – a one-stop shop for all the Ehsaas beneficiaries and people looking for information about the programme. The One Window Ehsaas Center has been opened at Sitara Market in Islamabad where people, who are registered under Ehsaas Kafalat Programme, can walk in to receive their Stipends through the Point of Sale (POS) or an ATM machine.
Ehsaas Kafalat programme is a vast and multi-dimensional programme under which more than 100 pro-poor schemes have been launched to facilitate them. Prior to Ehsaas One Window Center, the deserving beneficiaries had to visit different offices to find out about the benefits they are entitled to. The launch of this centre provides all the information and facilities at one point.
One Window Ehsaas has six pillars and a one-stop shop is just a part of it.
· One-stop Shop
· A public-facing digital information and services platform
· Mobile application
· Back office consolidated digital interface
· Cognitive API architecture, or the integrated national socioeconomic database
· Ehsaas One-Window Beneficiary Selection and Targeting Policy
The one-stop shop has a NADRA office where mothers can get the birth certificates of their children made and enrol their infants in the digital database for Ehsaas stipends for children. In addition to that, partner banks have also opened their branches inside the centre to better facilitate people at a single point.
Students who are looking for scholarships can get the desired information on Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship and fill their application online in the centre using free of cost facilities of internet, computer and printer.
Moreover, people can register for beds in Panahgah for a night’s stay and breakfast, àdmit child in an orphanage, admit a street child in one of the free schools under Ehsaas banner, get awareness sessions on health and nutrition, get their cards made if they are differently-abled and much more.
All federal agencies providing these services under Ehsaas banner will be able to access the two-way data-sharing system without any costs involved. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Sania Nishtar said that Ehsaas One Window Centers will also be opened in all the districts of Pakistan to facilitate the beneficiaries.
The Government of Pakistan is all set to launch “One-Window Ehsaas” that will serve as a single-service operation to facilitate beneficiaries of initiatives associated with the Ehsaas Program.
More About One-Window Ehsaas Initiative
Ehsaas Program is a platform devised by the incumbent government to overcome poverty in Pakistan. In a meeting held at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) on Feb. 26, Special Assistant To Prime Minister, Dr. Sania Nishtar revealed the One-Window Ehsaas initiative is underway and will be launched soon. In this regard, Dr. Nishtar summoned a final meeting with all the relevant authorities.
One-Window Ehsaas reportedly comprises three major parts: ‘Physical One Window Ehsaas Centers’, an Ehsaas e-portal, and an Ehsaas Android app. The idea behind setting up this one-stop-shop is to provide citizens information about different programmes of Ehsaas, all via a single platform by using technology.
Features Of One-Window Ehsaas
As mentioned before, the one-window operation will be a one-stop-shop for all the programmes of Ehsaas. In addition to that, here are some more features of this initiative:
- Access to multi-sectoral initiatives
- Development of physical one-window Ehsaas centre in Islamabad
- Development of Ehsaas Digital by the end of March 2021 to make the access to services and information easy
- Interlinking all the services through Ehsaas portal
- Avoid any duplication of data
- Development of Ehsaas Android Application
- Deployment of cognitive API architecture for data sharing
- Standardisation of beneficiary targeting
- Alignment of programme beneficiary populations
How Will One-Window Ehsaas Help People?
The government is launching this initiative to improve government-to-citizens service delivery. Ehsaas has currently more than 130 initiatives and the one-window operation will increase transparency, maximize facilitation and availability of information to the general public.
Physical One-Window Ehsaas Centers
For its on-ground presence, Ehsaas is also on its way to build Ehsaas physical centres. Again, this aims to address people’s concerns and queries in person. The location of the first One-Window Ehsaas Center is Islamabad. More details will be revealed at the time of the official launch. Some of the facilities and features available at this physical centre are:
- Ehsaas registration desks
- Ehsaas payment rooms with ATMs
- Ehsaas Nashonuma hall with complete facilities (registration, anthropometry, payments) and desks of Waseela-e-Taleem
- One Woman One Account (Ehsaas survey along with One Woman One Account training room)
- Ehsaas’ partners hall (with periodic exhibits by partners regarding their services)
- Ehsaas Information room
Ehsaas Digital
Ehsaas has a lot of programmes going on for 14 different disadvantaged groups. The digital part of One-Window Ehsaas will optimize efficiency along with making digital resources, forms, updates and news, weblinks and information more accessible.
Ehsaas Android App
With the evolution of smartphone technology and its applications, governments across the world are moving towards digitization of services. The Ehsaas App, an android application, will reportedly be available on Google Playstore. It will offer instantaneous links to Ehsaas initiatives, which, as mentioned above, is one of the most important features of One-Window Ehsaas. Ehsaas Android App will consist of many important features to help beneficiaries in managing various aspects of the Ehsaas program.
About Ehsaas Programme
Ehsaas Programme is the biggest and first-of-its-kind initiative of the Government of Pakistan to eradicate poverty from the country. There are more than 130 programmes that are currently being run and managed under one umbrella most popular of which are programmes for financial inclusion and promotion of economic empowerment of women. For more information, please make sure to read our blogs on Ehsaas Amdan, Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programmes.
This brings us to the end of our overview of One-Window Ehsaas, but stay tuned to keep yourself updated about the initiative. Meanwhile, you may want to check out our other pieces on different government initiatives such as:
- Islamabad to have its first urban forestry park
- Government’s Data4Pakistan Portal
- Roshan Digital Accounts
- Brand Pakistan to promote tourism
You can also write to us at blog@zameen.com and give us your valuable feedback. Don’t forget to subscribe to Zameen’s newsletter to read about construction and property on Pakistan’s largest real estate blog.
