SRSO's Operations Expanded from 17 to All 29 Districts of Sindh: Nasir Hussain Shah
Imran
Sindh Govt to Provide Loans up to Rs 1.5 Million to Empower Women Economically, Says Energy Minister
Karachi (): Sindh’s Minister for Energy, Planning, and Development, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, announced that in order to economically and socially empower women and help them become self-reliant, the Sindh Government will offer loans of up to Rs 1.5 million. Due to the success of the initiative, on the directives of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, the scope of the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) is being expanded from 17 districts to all 29 districts across the province. This expansion aims to include not only rural but also urban poor and deserving women so they too can benefit from this initiative.
He expressed these views today while speaking as the chief guest at the Final Dissemination Workshop of SRSO held at the Arts Council Karachi.
Present at the occasion were former MNA Nawab Wassan, MPA Qasim Siraj, Chairman P\&D Board Najam Ahmed Shah, P\&D Secretary Sajjad Abbasi, Chairperson of SRSO Naheed Shah Durrani, CEO Muhammad Dital Kalhoro, along with other senior officials and prominent social figures.
The Energy Minister said that under the direction of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, the Sindh government is constructing 2.1 million houses for flood-affected families, benefitting approximately 8 million people. A similar housing initiative is also planned for Balochistan. He further stated that mini-grid stations will be established in Sindh’s off-grid areas through the SRSO program, which will supply electricity via solarization. Households with low electricity consumption will receive electricity free of charge.
Minister Nasir Shah added that the partnership between the Sindh Government and SRSO is successfully implementing various development initiatives across districts, including poverty reduction, education, agriculture, and housing.
He reiterated that there are no plans to discontinue the ongoing poverty alleviation program under SRSO; instead, it is being expanded further to benefit more people across both urban and rural Sindh.
He emphasized that this program was a dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, which was fully supported and realized by President Asif Ali Zardari. Currently active in 17 districts, the program is now being expanded to all 29 districts of Sindh.
Highlighting its uniqueness, he said no other province in the country has a comparable program focused on women's economic empowerment. These efforts are now yielding tangible results, and much of the program’s success is credited to the empowered women themselves. The maximum loan amount for women is now being increased to Rs 1.5 million.
The minister also mentioned that the Sindh Government will establish mini-grids in rural areas, where the poorest will receive solar electricity free of cost, and others will pay only Rs 10 per unit. Alongside this, the construction of 2.1 million homes for affected families is ongoing.
SRSO Chairperson Naheed Shah Durrani shared that the program began in 2017, and since then, 400 women from six districts have been directly involved. She said these empowered women are now self-sufficient and supporting their families.
SRSO CEO Muhammad Dital Kalhoro also addressed the event and highlighted the organization’s performance.
