What is the Ehsaas Mobile Langar project; who will benefit?

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday inaugurated the Ehsaas Mobile Langar programme, under which the government plans to provide free meals to the impoverished from food trucks.

The programme has been launched in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Phase 1, and will be expanded to the rest of the country eventually. 

In a video statement released on social media, Director-General of the Baitul Maal, Senator Aun Bappi, has discussed the salient features of the programme.

"The panahgahs [shelters] inaugurated by the prime minister were fixed ones. The prime minister then said that there should be a programme through which people in various corners of the country have access to free food," he explained, sharing details about why the need for such a programme arose in the first place.

Key features: 

• Mobile food kitchens will prepare fresh food and distribute them on planned routes
• Food will be provided for two meals: lunch and dinner 
• The mobile kitchens will be sponsored by individual philanthropists and private organisations

According to Bappi, it was then that the government decided to plan a programme similar to "Meals on Wheels" in the US to provide free food to people through mobile kitchens.

"The concept is that food is prepared in these trucks [before they are given to people] and these trucks will travel on their planned routes," he said.

The DG Baitul Maal said these food trucks will travel on planned routes and will distribute free meals to an estimated 1,000-1,500 people on a daily basis.

"These people will be provided free meals for two times — lunch and dinner," he said.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said the government has established a "donors group" which aims to facilitate private organisations, philanthropists, celebrities and other individuals who wish to help the government in such ventures and ensure that these projects get the financial help they need.

"We have skilled drivers and cooks who prepare food in these trucks and deliver them to the people on the streets," said Bappi.