ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Ms Shazia Marri on Monday presided over a high level meeting to review the various initiatives of Benazir Income Support Programme.

She directed the concerned for more vigilance to ensure the disbursement of Benazir Kafaalat and other initiatives in a more transparent manner. The meeting was presided on zoom. It was attended by the Secretary BISP Yusuf Khan, Additional Secretary Dr Tahir Noor, and all Director Generals including heads of Provinces and regions.

The BISP Secretary briefed the Minister regarding the ongoing quarterly disbursement of Benazir Kafaalat which has been enhanced from Rs7000 to Rs8500 by the federal government. The details of other initiatives including disbursement of Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, Sindh Government’s payments of Wheat Seed Subsidy to farmers of flood affected areas of Sindh, and Atta (Flour) subsidy payments, were also discussed.

The ongoing survey of National Socio-Economic Registry ‘Dynamic Registry’ was also discussed under which the status of already registered beneficiaries is being reassessed. Dynamic Registry also gives the new deserving beneficiaries the opportunity to take benefit from the initiative on qualifying the criteria/ poverty benchmark, according to a press release.

The Regional DGs for Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir briefed the Minister with regard to complaints of illegal deductions received, recovery made and the POS agents blocked under the complaints of deductions.

The provincial DGs discussed about the shortage of manpower in meeting. Ms Shazia Marri said that we need to educate beneficiaries that the government of Pakistan has increased the amount of Benazir Kafaalat for quarter of Jan- March and April- Jun from Rupees 7000 to 8500 and 9000 respectively.

She urged the beneficiaries to lodge their complaints in case of unlawful deductions in the nearest BISP office. The Minister directed the field staff to enhance vigilance at grassroots level to control the complaints of illegal deductions received from some areas against the POS (Point of Sale) agents of partner banks.

She further urged the partner banks, i.e. Habib Bank in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan and Bank Al-Falah in rest of the country to simplify the payment mechanism through their ATMs so that the beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme could withdraw their funds easily. The Minister asked the Secretary BISP to work out a plan to address the issue of shortage of manpower in the provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.