Welfare: BISP brings relief to Gilgit-Baltistan

Officials claim Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer District is the most backward and poor area of the region.

GILGIT:

Officials in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) have claimed Gilgit-Baltistan’s (G-B) Diamer District is the most backward and poor area of the region, with over 11,000 families living below the poverty line.

“BISP is supporting over 33,000 deserving women in G-B and the number could rise in the coming days,” said Ajmal, a BISP official
in Gilgit.

He also told that public representatives distributed the due quota of 50,000 forms in G-B in 2009.

“The program in G-B was launched in March 2009,” he said, adding that the number of deserving women has risen to 33,000 from 29,000 according to a recent NADRA survey. Ajmal also informed that the BISP survey first carried out in Gilgit had highlighted the complete picture of poverty in the region. Furthermore, if a beneficiary is proven to be non-deserving, he or she could be dropped from the list after verification.

Around Rs950 million have been released, he said, adding that recipients received their cheques through post offices in G-B.

In addition, BISP offices are being setup in 25 tehsils of G-B for better facilitation. The officials also said that 207 women have been delivered cheques under the Wasila Haq scheme.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2011.