By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The Central Zakat Council has approved the zakat budget having size of more than Rs. 7.37 billion for various zakat programmes for the financial year 2008-09.
The main programmes against which allocation has been approved are Rs. 2.23 billion for Guzara Allowance, Rs 2.19 billion for educational stipends, Rs. 923 million for health care, Rs. 148 million for marriage grant, Rs. 100 million for natural calamities and Rs. 186 million for Eid grant.
The budget was approved in recently held meeting of the Council presided over by the its Chairman, Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs, Vakil Ahmed Khan.
The Council also considered the requests of various hospitals for enlistment and enhancement of annual zakat grant.
Existing grant of 14 hospitals have been enhanced upto 50 per cent of their approved grant.
The main hospitals are Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Bolan Medical Complex, Quetta, CENAR, Quetta, DHQ, Loralai, NORI, Islamabad, SIUT, Karachi, NICH, Karachi, R.G.H, Rawalpindi and AFIC, Rawalpindi.
Ten hospitals have been enlisted for Zakat grant from Central Zakat Fund.
These hospitals are POF Hospital, Wah, INOR, Abbotabad, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Kohat, BINO, Bahawalpur, NIMRA, Jamshoro and Fatima Memorial General Hospital, Lahore.
However, cases of some hospitals have been deferred for the next meeting of the Council.
The Council constituted a Committee to examine the fresh request of hospitals for enlistment/enhancement of Zakat grant.
Hepatitis has been considered as natural calamity and Rs.100 million were approved for treatment of patients suffering from such chronic disease throughout the country.
The expenditure will be incurred through registered national level hospital.
Islamabad Zakat and Ushr Committee has been allowed disbursement of stipends to the tune of Rs. 6.076 million among the students of educational institutions/Deeni Madaris of the area.
The Government of Sindh has been allowed to appoint against three posts each of Audit Officer and Audit Assistant to make functional all the District Zakat Committees in the province with the supporting staff.
Rs. 1.233 million deducted by the banks/financial institutions from the legally exempted assets have been allowed to be refunded.
A team comprising two members of Central Zakat Council and Administrator General Zakat will conduct an awareness campaign about useful schemes of Zakat and to motivate general public to contribute in the zakat fund through print and electronic media.