Women swarm cash distribution centres across Sindh

Trying to get much-needed Ehsaas Programme stipends, beneficiaries end up undermining lockdown

KARACHI: As women flooded to cash distribution points set up by the Ehsaas Programme and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) across the province, the district administrations found themselves unable to maintain social distancing among the beneficiaries.

The distribution centres - around 1,800 in total, set up at district headquarters and in cities including Badin, Thatta, Tando Muhammad Khan, Dadu, Qazi Ahmed and Sakrand - witnessed unprecedented crowds of women who marched to the open grounds and schools, leaving all the health department’s guidelines in the dust as they tried to obtain the money pledged to them - a stipend of Rs12,000 per family.

In some places, the beneficiaries were forced to trickle through bottle-necks to reach the centres, creating a jam at these points as they tried to push through. As a result, security officials, comprising both the police and Rangers, were at a loss on how to ensure the security and distancing mandated by the government and the Sindh police chief.



Amid the confusion, many claimed that there were no proper arrangements for the beneficiaries, who drew cash from the ATMs of various banks in Sindh’s towns and cities.

In Matli, Badin district, women rushed to banks to withdraw the much-needed cash as the police tried to figure out how to impose some order on the chaos.

“Most of the women here came from nearby villages,” disclosed Muhammad Saleem, a resident of the town. “For them, it was a challenge to even get here without transportation.”

Censuring people for capturing video footage of them, he asked, “Where is the respect and dignity? Poor women must not be dealt with in this way.”

Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi from Nawabshah, meanwhile, was critical of the rush at facilitation centres, pointing out that it undermined the purpose of the lockdown that has been in place for over two weeks.

“The lockdown is for every citizen - including women and children,” he maintained. “Do you think the virus won’t attack women or that it won’t spread through them?”

Confusion about who was to receive the money appeared to have made matters worse. Ali Asghar Memon, from Badin city, said that the facilitation centre set up at Pir Aali Shah Ground was filled with women. “Even women who weren’t listed tried to come to the centre,” he stated, adding that despite the lockdown, many of the women had come to the city with their entire families. “It is an alarming situation. The virus could spread so quickly.”

In the metropolis

In the provincial capital, six centres were set up on a trial basis - one each in East, Central, South, West, Korangi and Malir districts.

Issuing a letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the Karachi commissioner directed law enforcement personnel and the relevant departments to endure security and health guidelines inside and outside the centres.

“The police and Rangers are there, but everyone wants to reach the centre,” said Ishaq Hingoro, talking about the facilitation centre set up near his home in Agra Taj Colony, Lyari. “It was almost unmanageable. There was no social distancing.”

He said that the majority of women were unclear about what they were supposed to receive at the centre. “They did not know if ration bags were being distributed. And several people rushed to the venue thinking that cash would be given to each CNIC holder.”

Waiting at the centre for over two and a half hours, Shabana Soomro, a resident of Suleman Azad Road, was upset that she was turned away. “They said my name was not listed.”

Zulekha Ghani, another resident, complained to The Express Tribune that though all the women living on her street tried to reach the school where the centre was set up, only ‘selected families’ benefited from the distribution.

Reiterating the criticism of many others, social activist and anthropologist Sikandar Ali Hullio too insisted that the crowds were a violation of the lockdown.



“There was no mechanism in place to distribute the cash,” he stated, opining that people should be given the allowance at their doorsteps. “We have a postal system. We have trained persons who distribute utility bills to every house. The government can use them.”

Sindh govt reacts

Meanwhile, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab, speaking to The Express Tribune, bitterly criticised the distribution method too.

“We already raised our concerns with the federal government,” he claimed, adding that they had already predicted that people would rush to the centres if cash was being distributed. “The Sindh government is not responsible for this mess. Relief should be given at the doorsteps of the needy.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2020.