ISLAMABAD: Days after Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Minister Shazia Marri claimed that quarterly stipend to the beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was being increased to 2,000 rupees in the present quarter, the BISP, Wednesday, apparently backtracked from this claim — announcing that the said increase was Rs 1,500 (per beneficiary) for the present quarter.

The quarterly stipend for the BISP beneficiaries has been increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,500 (per beneficiary), BISP said on Wednesday.

The said increase covers the period from January to March this year, it said in a statement.

Payments to some nine million beneficiaries have started following this increase, the statement added.

The federal government has allocated an amount of Rs 73.8333 billion for this quarter (January-March), BISP said, adding that quarterly stipend would be increased to Rs 9,000 in the next quarter (April to June).

On the last month’s 28th, Shazia Marri said that federal government was increasing by Rs 2,000 the quarterly stipend offered to deserving beneficiaries under BISP — from Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000 for the present quarter.

She claimed this in a meeting with Dr Luay Shabaneh, the Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning here that federal government is facing with scathing criticism over its alleged failure to take adequate measures for addressing the economic woes of the common man against the backdrop of unbridled inflation.

Last month, the federal government in Senate had refused to allow an increase in the stipend offered to deserving beneficiaries under the BISP by opposing the Benazir Income Support (Amendment) Bill 2022 that led to the rejection of this private bill by the house.

Treasury Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was the mover of the Benazir Income Support (Amendment) Bill, 2022. On the final day of the Senate’s “mini-budget session,” on February 20, Samina Zehri sought from the house, leave to move the Benazir Income Support (Amendment) Bill 2022.

She said the bill is aimed at amending Benazir Income Support Act 2010 to increase the financial stipend for BISP beneficiaries.

However, State Law Minister Shahadat Awan, who represents the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), opposed the bill citing a shortage of funds.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani held a voice vote on the bill which led to the rejection of the bill by majority vote.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023