Feeling marginalised: Minority leaders say annual aid package amounts to ‘peanuts’

CM’s adviser claims allocation in the new budget will be doubled.

PESHAWAR:

The last day for members of minority communities to apply for a share of a yearly financial aid package passed on Friday, with many people unaware of the deadline. Minority leaders feel that not only was the application process poorly advertised, but the amount distributed was a pittance when compared to the hardships their communities face.

First introduced by the previous Awami National Party (ANP) provincial government, the package includes compensation to widows, medical allowances and academic scholarships.



“First of all the package was advertised in two newspapers on May 21 and the deadline to apply was May 30, not allowing people enough time, especially since the process is lengthy,” said All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement Chairman Haroon Sarbdyal. He added that potential applicant had limited access to the forms, which were available online or with the District Commissioner (DC) and Assistant Commissioner (AC).

“My community is not well educated so downloading the form from the government website is difficult and one week to submit the form is also not sufficient time,” said Sarbdyal. If a Hindu man or woman wanted to apply, he or she would first have to fill it out a form and have it attested by a religious leader from the community. The form is then submitted to the DC or AC.

However, first the people have to be alerted that the application process is open. “Most people in the Hindu community are illiterate and cannot read newspapers so it should have been advertised on TV and radio as well,” he added.

The whole process is tedious and the reward amounts to very little.

“Last time they distributed Rs2,000 to widows and Rs2,500 in medical assistance, which is peanuts,” Sarbdyal said, adding that the minimum amount should be Rs50,000 for a woman who has lost her husband and potentially her family’s main source of livelihood.

Sardar Charanjit Singh, a leader of the city’s Sikh community, said Rs15,000 is awarded as dowry for a poor girl. “This amount is like adding insult to her injury, and it should be increased,” he added.

While he appreciated the fact that the package was better than having no financial assistance – which was the case in the past –the amount was not enough. Some recipients even referred to it as a cruel practical joke being played on them, he added.

Special Advisor to Chief Minister for Minority Affairs Dr Sardar Sooran Singh agreed that applicants were not given enough time to submit forms and he has asked the secretary for Hajj, Auqaf and Minority Affairs, to extend the deadline till June 5.

“The secretary advertised the package without consulting me,” Singh said, claiming the secretary was not cooperative.

Upon enquiring why the application process was not announced months ago, Singh said the secretary did not have an answer for that. Instead he said they had to advertise it before June so that the time period for the financial assistance package would not lapse.

“The amount of this year’s package was already fixed in the Annual Development Programme (ADP), but I am working on doubling it in the new budget,” Singh said.

He added the amount allotted for each ‘heading’ within the fund was Rs2 million, and if they receive around 2,000 applicants from widows in the year, they would have to distribute it equally.

He admitted there were many shortcomings in the system.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government is trying its level best to fix it,” he said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2014.