New look: Anti-poverty scheme to undergo restructuring, says Baig

Says a large slice of the BISP budget will be spent on skill development schemes.


Zahid Gishkori January 03, 2014
Benazir Income Support Programme chairman Enver Baig. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD:


The government has decided to redesign the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and will work out a new policy for the anti-poverty scheme, BISP chairman Enver Baig said on Thursday.


In fact, all the ongoing schemes will undergo ‘redesigning and restructuring’, according to Baig.

In a preliminary step, the government will conduct a poverty survey to identify ‘the poorer of the poor in the country’, Baig told The Express Tribune. The government has allocated Rs75 billion to run BISP’s affairs and will make sure that the maximum amount is spent on skill development schemes, he added.

“Only the poorer of the poor will get benefits from the BISP,” he said. “Under this programme, we don’t want to make people beggars anymore. Begging bowls will not work anymore under this programme.”



Fraud in ‘Waseela-e-Haq’

The newly appointed BISP chairman also claimed that massive fraud could be unearthed in ‘Waseela-e-Haq Programme’ if the case is sent to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Baig said he sensed there was something ‘fishy’ about this programme.

This programme too will be redesigned as only four out of 53 cases in Islamabad have been proved authentic, according to him.

The previous government spent Rs2.6 billion on this programme. Some 16,103 people have received the first installment worth Rs150,000. Around 1, 515 people have also received the second installment. Now the current government is planning to send this case to NAB or FIA for verification of beneficiaries, Baig said.

A close aide to BISP ex-chairperson Farzana Raja termed it a mere allegation. He said they worked closely on this programme and claimed that the balloting system was very fair.

Raja, however, could not be reached for comment on these allegations. The Express Tribune left her messages but these went unanswered.

As many as 2,610,624 beneficiaries could not get their promised amount so far due to problems with their computerised NIC, Baig said, “This issue will be resolved soon.” In an effort to train the poor people, he said, the government will start working with various industries.

Currently, there are 5.1 million beneficiaries of this programme. Of these 1.8 million live in Punjab, 1.6 million in Sindh, 1 million in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 0.2 million in Balochistan and 96,440 in AJK, 0.1 million in Fata, 41,669 in G-B and 9,053 in Islamabad.

The BISP chairman also assured that the affected residents of Manchar Lake will get financial support under emergency financial relief package. He went on to inform that BISP is supporting them in light of the apex court’s directions. PM Nawaz Sharif will himself distribute the cheques among 250 BISP beneficiaries.

Baig concluded by saying that the government plans to focus more on Waseela-e-Rozgar programme, under which some 57,905 trainees have completed their jobs.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2014.

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