July 21, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 05, 1428

LAYYAH, July 20: Getting an account opened with a bank to draw subsistence allowance is a hazardous task for the recipients, Dawn has learnt. The Zakat and Ushr Department distributes cheques for Rs1,000 each to the needy people every six months through 682 zakat committees.

Every zakat committee distributes subsistence allowance cheques to 10 needy people of the area.

Every time, committees put 90 per cent new names on the list of the needy. Each recipient gets a crossed cheque and has to open a bank account to get the cash.

One has to spend Rs300 to open the account and visit the bank several times. The State Bank of Pakistan rules state an account-seeker should provide three coloured photographs and a photocopy of the computerised national identity card to the bank.

Bank officials send these items to their head office and the head office get the documents verified from the National Database Registration Authority. This procedure consumes five days and costs the account seeker Rs150.

The zakat recipient has to spend another Rs32 to buy a cheque book. After getting the account opened, he or she can operate it after three days of its opening. An account holder who deposits a cheque for RS1,000 can draw only Rs700 out of the account.

Social worker Shahzad Gul demanded zakat be given thorough open cheques instead of crossed cheques so the recipients could get full money.