NA Panel Unhappy With BISP Performance

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation convened for a detailed briefing from the Ministry of Poverty and Social Security, where key financial allocations and concerns surrounding the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) were discussed. A committee member voiced her disappointment with BISP’s performance, despite acknowledging her firsthand observations of other poverty alleviation efforts like the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). She requested detailed information about BISP operations in Jamshoro and Larkana. She also called for action against agents demanding commissions during the distribution of funds, with officials confirming that FIRs have already been registered in such cases. Ministry officials confirmed that Rs. 289,794 million had been allocated for the Ministry’s salaries and operational costs for the year, while Rs. 598,718 million was designated for BISP. Additionally, Rs. 1,827 million was set aside for a special Ramadan package. The National Poverty Graduation Program received Rs 3.246 billion, with Rs 1,643 million earmarked specifically for extreme poverty alleviation efforts this fiscal year. There was also a discussion about the wide disparity in fund distribution across districts, to which officials explained that allocations are tailored to the poverty levels of each area. The meeting emphasized efforts to improve fund distribution by collaborating with six new banks and developing a new model for effective implementation of BISP initiative.