Social Welfare and Rural Development Year 1976-1977 (April 14, 1977)

Social Welfare and Rural Development are represented by a happy and healthy family which is shown in the fore ground The father as a farmer with a spade over his shoulder, the mother in front of a handloom and-a boy with tools in one hand and a book in the other. A model village is shown in the back-ground. An ambulance car is symbolic of medical facilities, and a tractor showing the advancement in use of agricultural machinery also appear in the back ground.
LETTERING :The words “Social Welfare & Rural Development Year 1976-77” appear on the top In red colour, while the words “Pakistan” in Urdu and English appear in the bottom in Blue colour. The denomination 20P and word “Postage” are printed in Black.
While emphasizing the concept of Social Welfare the Prime Minister of Pakistan once observed: “Social Welfare Is that aspect of social development which aims at the realization of the total personality of man through his genuine participa-tion in the process of social change within the context of the affairs of the nation in general, and the reconstruction of his own community in particular. 1 have repeatedly stressed that in a developing country like Pakistan ‘man’ as the main operator of putting into motion the total machinery of development, has to be motivated, socially prepared and trained for effective participation in the process of development. This demands an understanding of the dynamics of social change. The profession and practice of Social Welfare rests on this understanding”.
Equally important is the field of rural development which effects 85% population of agriculture oriented families living in villages. How can a country progress if so much percentage of its population is left out or not geared up into activity meant for the collective good and forward thrust of the programmes.
After assessing the past schemes and failures in the field of village development, the Government adopted an integrated approach involving all the national developing agen-cies, called Integrated Rural Development. The importance attached is obvious from the Prime Minister’s observation. In his message on launching the Integrated Rural Development Programme on 1st July, 1972, Prime Minister (then President) Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said:
“The Integrated Rural Development Programme is probably our last hope to improve the economic position of our vast majority of small farmers in villages, afford employment opportunities, reduce the gap between the urban and rural areas so that the people living in the villages, may participate with their colleagues in the cities, with pride in political, social and economic life of the country”.
In fact, Pakistan derives its strength and inspiration from the toiling millions of this country who form an overwhelming majority and on whose output the national economy depends. The real strength of a country flows from the prosperity of the majority population, prosperity comes from freedom from hunger, disease and explication of all kinds. All the reforms so far brought about have leveled the land of injustices and disparities in our social and economic life’, to afford equal opportunity to all for progress and prosperity A broad base for a national takeoff has been provided after striking at the roots of the exploitative forces.
Having done all this, the concentration of the Government is on the ways and’ means to associate and Involve all the working classes in the national and collective efforts towards general prosperity of the people. Social Welfare is not to be allowed to remain as an isolated field but it has to be made integral part of the nations’ development programme. The rural population is to be motivated for effective participa-tion under their own local leadership, because the people living in villages are in a better position to fix the priorities in development.
It was with the intention to intensify these efforts, accelerate the pace of develop-ment and achieve the total personality of man, that the ‘Ministry of Social Welfare, Local Government and Rural Development was created at Federal level.
In February, 1976, and the concerned departments were merged into one department under one Minister in the Provinces. The objectives, in the main, are; (I) to make a departure from the old thinking and make people not only beneficiaries but also contributors by becoming self- reliant and self-sufficient. (ii) create awareness about rights and responsibilities with feelings of self-respect and self reliance, (iii) make them realise the importance of effective participation at all levels, (iv) buildup local leadership, (v) create dignity of manual labour, (vi) train in vocations and professions, skills and crafts of the rural areas for enhancing the income of the people, and thus improve the quality of rural life. This is stupendous task calling for joint efforts, with the spirit of collective good and hard labour. The rural masses need to be reminded of their duties and the utility of co-operation and coordination so that men and women feel forced to accept the new ideas, new opportunities and face the challenges of the present time. The Ministry of Social Welfare has undertaken this work and introduced a number of schemes under Integrated Rural Development and Peoples Works programme to achieve the objectives.
These are the objectives for which a mass movement has been launched with the declaration of the current year as the year of Social Welfare and Rural Develop-ment. These objectives constitute ‘ the central theme of the Commemorative Postage stamp to pin-point the importance of this year, to demonstrate the activity and will of men and women to work toge-ther for the common good and for the greater glory of Pakistan,