Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Faisal Karim Kundi Friday vowed to make BISP social welfare program more accountable and transparent under ‘direct payment system’ from August, under which they will get money directly in their bank accounts instead of toiling in long queues and giving commissions to agents. Pakistan’s biggest ever ‘BISP’ social welfare program was providing financial support to nine million “poorest” families, he said while talking to a private news channel.
“Social protection accounts under BISP will pay directly payment to beneficiaries where they will be able to open their bank accounts”, he added. The step has been taken after several complaints from beneficiaries of deductions by agents at payment sites, he mentioned. Replying a question, he said the government has initiated online registration of the BISP Dynamic Survey after recent flood, adding, this survey has been initiated to include new families who were left out during the 8171 Ehsaas Program survey registry.
The main objective of starting the survey system is to register more eligible families and conduct future surveys in country, he added. To another question, he said the BISP beneficiaries will now getting the increased amount of Rs 9,000 under the assistant program adding, the BISP is a revolutionary programme of the government and implements various schemes for the welfare of the downtrodden segments of society. “The number of Benazir Scholarships for Undergraduates has also increased this year, he said, adding, including Transgender Persons in the Benazir Kafaalat program as well as the families with differently-abled persons with relaxation in Poverty Score is another big step of government”, he added.
The registered BISP beneficiaries are also provided an Education Stipend of Rs. 2500 for girl child and Rs. 2000 for boy child, he conveyed. The amount of stipend for girls has been kept higher than boys to motivate parents to send their daughters to schools. About the financial relief provided to the flood-affected families, he said that Rs70 billion has been disbursed among 2.8 million BISP beneficiaries affected during the floods.
