LODHRAN  -  The online registration has been started under the ‘Transfer of Livestock Assets to Widows, Divorced Women’ project in order to empower rural women and over 1300 applications have been received so far across the district. Deputy Director Livestock, Dr Waqar Aslam, while talking to APP here on Sunday said that one cattle heifer or buffalo heifer would be given to each woman free of cost for one year. He said that the women could apply online on the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) App by downloading it. The applicant must have her own mobile sim to apply. Widows and divorced women with a maximum age of 55 years and who didn’t get animals from any government scheme during the last five years are eligible for the scheme. He said that 11,000 animals would be distributed in 13 districts across South Punjab with 913 animals for each district. The duration of the program is two years and half of animals out of 913 for district Lodhran would be given to eligible people this year and the rest next year. The last date for submission of applications through App is November 10. The animals would be disbursed among deserving women after E-balloting. The Urban Unit will physically verify the women’s eligibility criteria while the data of the applicants would also be verified from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). The women would be bound to take care of the animals for one year in own custody while the livestock department would provide artificial insemination, vaccination and other services. The purpose of the project is to empower rural women financially so that they could run their businesses and earn livelihood. He said that an awareness campaign was underway through Kisan Livestock bethak program and announcements at village level.