ISLAMABAD:
Nearly half of the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) could not receive their payments due to unavailability of their identity cards, the minister in-charge for the cabinet division informed the National Assembly.
“Payments of over 2.53 of 5.81 million eligible beneficiaries are still pending with the BISP,” stated an official reply submitted to parliament on Thursday. The Poverty Scorecard Survey (PSS) under the BISP declared 5.81 million people eligible for financial support. The five-page reply added that other national and international organisations also assisted BISP teams in successfully conducting a country-wide survey. The PSS will be completed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) by the end of the year, added the reply.
Provincial imbalance?
The official reply also stated that majority of people who were unable to receive any benefits through the BISP hail from Southern Punjab, interior Sindh and Balochistan.
Over 98,000 people could not receive their payments in Thatta alone. In Lahore, nearly 111, 529 were declared eligible for the BISP but 72, 997 yet to receive their payments. While 70,065 beneficiaries did not receive their payments in Kasur. Out of 8,000 eligible people in Dera Bugti, Balochistan, 5,000 are yet to receive payments. The reason for the delay in payments is that the National Database Registration and Regulatory Authority (NADRA) has still not issued the eligible people computerised national identity cards (CNICs).
However, no other details were mentioned in the written reply which came as a response to a question posed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Mian Marghoob Ahmad.
‘NADRA in touch with BISP’
While talking to The Express Tribune, a BISP spokesperson said “We can give details after consulting BISP directors concerned”. The spokesperson was also unable to answer a question regarding whether NADRA had been contacted over the issuance of the CNICs.
However, NADRA Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik clarified that the BISP administration was in touch with the organisation in order to facilitate the BISP beneficiaries with their identity cards.
“We have also started a text message service in order to inform beneficiaries about their eligibility,” he explained. On the other hand, he was not sure about the official agreement over the issue between the two organisations.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.
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(N) League should immedietly resign from parliament, in view of the memo received to electronic media.It should explain, its position, to the public for supporting the ongoing set up.