The Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety has strongly recommended earliest appointment of Managing Director of Pakistan Bait ul Mal (PBM). Meeting of the Senate Body with Senator Sardar Al Haj Muhammad Umer Gorgaij in chair was held at Parliament House, Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan, Senator JaanMuhammad, Senator Dost Ali Jeesar, Senator Rubina QaimKhani, and the senior management of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety along with representatives of the attached departments attended the meeting. During the meeting, the Committee was briefed on the operations and performance of the Ministry and its attached departments. It was informed that the Ministry administers four departments namely Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Pakistan Bait ul Mal, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO).

Additionally, the Ministry has initiated the National Poverty Graduation Programme (NPGP), a joint venture of Government of Pakistan and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The main objective of NPGP was to provide monetary support and training to deserving individuals in order to uplift their livelihood. The program was initially being implemented in 21 districts of the country with a total volume of USD 132.6 Million. Moreover, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has also joined NPGP which will support addition of four (04) more districts from the Ultra Poverty Index in second phase of the programme. On the occasion, the Committee inquired the BISP authorities regarding allocation of funds for the province of Balochistan, wherein, it was informed that approximately 6.5 to 7 lac families are eligible for the support programme and further 5% of the total funds have been allocated for Baluchistan.

The Committee recommended that the volume of funds for Balochistan should be increased, given the high ratio of people living below the poverty line in the region. The Committee, in order to directly facilitate the beneficiaries, also emphasized that role of the agents should be eliminated. The BISP authorities also briefed the Committee that BISP has signed MoUs with additional six banks to facilitate the payments through banks. Moreover, BISP was planning to distribute handouts at the union council level to ease the process and ensure transparency. Accordingly, the Committee was informed that, the key position of Managing Director, Bait ul Mal has been vacant for over more than eight months. The Committee took serious cognizance of the issue and strongly recommended that the Government should ensure the appointment of MD, Bait ul Mal at the earliest, benefitting the general masses.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan