CM Punjab to give cattle worth Rs2bn to 11,000 rural women

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched a new program to support financial empowerment and employment for rural women in 12 districts of southern Punjab.

The initiative, called the CM Punjab Livestock Assets Program, will provide free buffaloes and cows to about 11,000 women, with a total budget of Rs2 billion.

In the first phase, 4,870 animals will be distributed. The program targets widows, divorced women, and other low-income women in rural areas. Beneficiaries can apply through a mobile app or visit the Chief Minister Facilitation Desk at local animal hospitals.

Women from Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Layyah, Kot Addu, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalpur will receive livestock under the program. The aim is to increase milk production and provide income-generating opportunities at home.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the effort is part of a broader plan to reduce the poverty gap between urban and rural areas. She stated that economic development is the right of every woman, regardless of where she lives.

She also said education, health, and employment are basic rights for all women, whether in cities or villages.