PPP Punjab president Qamar ul Zaman Kaira said Benazir Bhutto’s lives in the heart of the poor despite removing her name and image from BISP as this reflects the moral bankruptcy on the part of the government.
He said this in his statement on Saturday. He held that current rulers don’t let any chance go to add to the woes of people. The government itself admitted that the name of thousands of beneficiaries are removed from BISP.
Unveiling the @Ehsaas_Pk #Kafaalat card. @PAKPMO's bold decision to depoliticize safety nets- #Quaid’s picture to be on #Ehsaas Kafaalat cards. #Kifalat @MoIB_Official @pid_gov @appcsocialmedia pic.twitter.com/Z3xWiW8tIK
— Dr Sania Nishtar (@SaniaNishtar) January 30, 2020
He went on to say that the government, by changing the name of BISP and removing the name of Benazir Bhutto, has paraded its narrow-mindedness.
Kaira said the puppets have come as a scourge and they have crushed the poor masses and it is unbecoming of the government to beat the drum of Ehsas without demonstrating broad-mindedness.
The last morsel is also being snatched from the poor people through abject poverty and staggering inflation, he added. The rulers have come to decorate old projects with their nameplates to deceive people, remarked Kaira.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched Kifalat Card on January 30th with Quaid-e-Azam’s picture on it. The card will enable only the listed beneficiaries to withdraw monthly payments and will provide them with other initiatives under Ehsaas Programme. Ehsaas Kifalat program will also provide financial assistance to the 7 million women.
In a tweet, Dr. Sania Nishtar informed that the PM office has taken a bold decision to depoliticize the social safety nets program by inscribing Quaid’s picture on Ehsaas Kifalat cards on January 30th.
Ehsaas Kafaalat program is the only one of its kind. It offers dignified, apolitical, merit-based and transparent economic assistance. It will ensure economic and digital inclusion of 7 million poverty-stricken women.
Look how does #EhsaasKafaalat program stand out: pic.twitter.com/28y7oRQixy
— Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (@MOPASSPK) January 31, 2020
The government claims the Ehsaas Kifalat program has been introduced with an advance mechanism to control corruption and irregularities. The advancements in the income support program were induced following the horrendous revelation of a large bevy of government employees devouring the money allowed for the poorest segment of society.
Corruption in BISP
Last month, the federal government initiated a thorough investigation into the list of beneficiaries of BISP and more than 800,000 registered members under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) were declared ‘undeserving’ said Dr. Sania Nishtar.
The beneficiaries were excluded following the revision of the BISP database following the decision taken in the cabinet meeting informed the Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan in the press conference.
The review of the beneficiaries held after cabinet members argued that the members of the opposition party Pakistan People’s Party were benefitting from the program while the PTI members were being ignored.
Read more: Ehsaas Program: An inspirational and bold move by Imran Khan?
Dr. Sania Nishtar asserted that a detailed audit of the beneficiaries held with the National Database and Registration Authority. The beneficiaries were assessed based on certain factors such as if the family of the beneficiary had any motorcycle or car, or people having more than 12 acres of land were undeserving of social assistance.
Ehsaas Program
As per the latest information, the government is looking forward to beginning a new program in the next two weeks under the Ehsaas program in which they will distribute cows to women for their financial independence. The government claims women will become financially independent by selling cow’s milk in the market.
The Ehsaas initiative is a multi-dimensional initiative aimed at reducing inequality, investing in people, and lifting lagging districts. It has three components interest-free loans, vocational and skills training, and asset transfers. It also has three distinguishing features — consolidation of resources, synergy through partnerships, and a focus on governance.