Karachi, April 14, 2023 (PPI-OT): Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program Ms. Shazia Marri has said that economy is the most serious challenge presently faced by the country and we are well aware of the misery faced by the poor and lower middle classes due to ever increasing inflation. She expressed these views during a joint press conference along with Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety here at Islamabad. Ms. Shazia Marri said that present economic crisis in the country is the result of bad governance and poor economic policies of the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and considerable time and efforts are required to bring the country out of this quagmire.
While criticizing the PTI government’s economic policies, she reiterated that present government is not indifferent to the pains of the poor people of Pakistan. Unlike the PTI government, present coalition government has increased annual budget of Benazir Income Support Programme by almost 70 per cent from Rs. 235 billion to Rs. 400 billion. The Increased budgetary allocation has helped BISP extending maximum support to the poor and needy segments of the society through direct cash transfer, she continued. She further added that under Benazir Kafaalat, which is the Flagship Unconditional Cash Transfer (UTC) initiative of Benazir Income Programme, number of beneficiaries has been increased from 7.6 million beneficiaries to over 9 million in a short span of one year. While acknowledging the challenges faced by the power people, she emphasized that government has increase Kafaalat cash assistant by 25%. Now Rs. 8500/- and Rs. 9000/- will be disbursed alternatively to the beneficiaries to make overall average instalment of Rs. 8750/-
Ms. Marri said climate change and supper floods last year also contributed towards current economic hardships in the country. Benazir Income Support Programme, on directions of the Prime Minister disbursed Rs. 70 billion among 2.8 million affected families of the flood affected areas. Each family was given Rs. 25000/- as a onetime dispensation. She further informed the media that Benazir Income Support Programme also distributed nutritious food supplements and cash stipend worth rupees one billion among the infants and lactating women. These food supplements were distributed under Benazir Nashonuma with the technical support of World Food Programme (WFP).
While discussing the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, she stated that during past one-year beneficiary’s children of Taleemi Wazaif has jumped up from 2.6 million to over 7.1 million. Regarding Benazir undergraduate Scholarship Scheme, she emphasized that it should be connected with PMT score so that undergraduate students belonging from poor families may get maximum benefit from this scheme. Ms. Marri also informed the media that this initiative was started in 2016 as a pilot project and upto last year it existed in 15 districts only. Now, we have expanded to every district of Pakistan and over 474 Nashonuma centres are now operating all over the country where over 520,000 pregnant and lactating mothers and new-born babies are provided nutritious food.
She also highlighted challenges of social seclusion and economic deprivation faced by the transgender community and said that first time in the history of Pakistan this community has been brought under the Kafaalat net. The minimum PMT score have been waived off for this community with the only condition that they should be registered in NADRA as transgender person. Ms. Shazia Marri also noted that during past one year Benazir Income Support Programme has shifted from static registry to dynamic registry. With the introduction of dynamic registry existing beneficiaries can update their information at dynamic survey desk established at the BISP Tehsil offices. People who intend to get benefit from Benazir Income Support Programme can also get themselves registered through dynamic registry. She emphasized that there is no cost whatsoever for registration through dynamic registry.
The Minister also mentioned the support extended to the provinces by the Benazir Income Support Programme and said that 6.9 million families in Sindh have been disbursed Rs. 2000/- each under flour subsidy distribution scheme of Sindh Government. Further, 185928 farmers of the flood affected areas of Sindh have been paid Wheat Seed Subsidy by the Government of Sindh. This subsidy was disbursed by Benazir Income Support Programme according to plan provided by the Sindh Government. She said that along with Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan Baitulmal, (PBM) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund are also working towards social and economic uplift of the people of Pakistan.
Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (PA and SS) also addressed the press conference and has said that PPP is not in favour of conflict among state institutions. That is the very reason Chairperson Pakistan People Party has constituted a reconciliation Committee to engage in dialogue with all political stakeholder including opposition parties to address the crisis arising out of the current political polarization in the country. While replying the questions of the media person Ms. Shazia Marri reiterated that Parliament is supreme institution and its sanctity cannot be compromised. She continued, though we do not want confrontation with any institution but at the same time supremacy of Parliament should not be compromised. “No institution should disrespect any other institution and dictate its own terms. Any such attempt will be foiled with full power that constitution of Pakistan has bestowed to the parliament”, she concluded.
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Behind Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Karachi, Pakistan
Cell: +92-305-3370383
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