Infinite greed

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is supposed to cater to families with a monthly income of around Rs5,000. The cash stipend of Rs1,666 a month doled out under the cash transfer programme is just good enough for a family of five to six individuals to purchase wheat flour for 20 to 25 days. The programme is thus meant for the poorest of the poor in the country. Shockingly though, about eight hundred thousand, or nearly 15 per cent, of the five million beneficiaries of the programme belonged to families with a decent socio-economic status until it was detected, last month, by the incumbent government.

The list of the BISP beneficiaries included those who themselves or their spouses have travelled abroad; have had their passports processed through an executive centre; and are the owners of a motor vehicle. And while those employed by the Government of Pakistan or any government-affiliated agency or those drawing a pension from the government are not eligible for cash support under the programme, the BISP beneficiaries enjoy the proud privilege of having high-ranking government officers in their midst. Just a day before yesterday, the National Assembly was informed by a federal minister that several Sindh government officers of grades 17, 18, 19 and even 20 had been registered as BISP beneficiaries.

It’s the height of greed that even those enjoying the status of gazetted officers and drawing no less than a six-figure salary are ready to do whatever good or bad they can to prove their eligibility to grab any doles. Those who don’t hesitate in queuing up for the meager sums meant for people with low or no income and steal their rights don’t deserve to go unpunished. The PTI government — under the supervision of BISP Chairperson and PM’s Special Assistant Dr Sania Nishtar — has taken a commendable step to rid the country’s largest social safety programme of undeserving members by employing a methodology that will hopefully continue to keep a check.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2020.

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