‘BISP survey is non-partisan’

Marvi Memon says those tampering with surveys would be penalised

SHABQADAR: A survey to identify beneficiaries of the nationwide social welfare scheme, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), is non-political with elected representatives having no involvement in it.

This was stated by BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon while addressing locals in Charsadda on Wednesday.

After receiving a briefing from local survey teams who continue to work in the district, Memon said that previously elected representatives used to interfere in the survey, giving the programme a political slant.

Now, she stated, the survey was being conducted by a non-partisan organisation hence it was completely unbiased. She added that with the involvement of a non-partisan organisation, the chance of irregularities in the survey was 20 per cent. But BISP, she added, was trying to bring that error level down to eight per cent.

In this regard, she urged locals to report any irregularities they come across in the survey.

She added that about 200,000 families had been surveyed in Charsadda. Memon, however, lamented that as many as 280 families had refused to provide BISP survey officials with their data. Moreover, she said that thus far, only eight per cent irregularities have been reported from the district.

Memon added that they were following international standards in conducting the survey and that no one would be allowed to affect or tamper the survey. Moreover, action would be taken against team members who are found guilty of tampering with the survey.

“This is state money and it will be spent on the poor, irrespective of their political affiliation,” she said, adding that the government was committed to helping the poor under any circumstance.

She also praised the martyred SSP Sajid Khan Mohmand, adding that the country was proud of the sacrifices he had rendered.

After the event, she left without speaking to the media.

The BISP survey is currently under way in 16 districts of Pakistan including Charsadda and Mohmand which is expected to be completed in August. The survey teams are conducting door-to-door surveys to check the poverty level.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2017.