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KARACHI, Aug 5: The thirteenth instalment of the Food Support Programme under the Pakistan Baitul Mal to over 40,000 beneficiaries in Karachi has been delayed for over a month despite the acceptance of the Pakistan Post Office’s demand of payment of Rs10 per transaction as service charges.
According to sources, the 13th annual instalment of Rs3,000 per FSP beneficiary all over Pakistan was supposed to start in the end of June 2008, but the Pakistan Post Office refused to deliver the amount unless provided Rs10 per transaction as service charges. The demand was reportedly made after receiving the instalment amount from Pakistan Baitul Mal, which has about two million beneficiaries on its rolls all over the country.
The issue was ultimately resolved and it was decided that the federal government would pay the PPO the service charges as per the demand in the next budget’s allocation. After the assurance, payment to beneficiaries has reportedly started in some districts in Sindh, but a large number of people, including those living in Karachi, are still deprived.
According to sources, all the designated post offices in the 18 towns of the city have been provided the money and the verified lists of beneficiaries that mainly constitute widows, the handicapped and senior citizens. A letter warning the PPO authorities not to delay the instalment as it may lead to protests has already been issued to the Pakistan Post high-ups.
When contacted, Deputy Postmaster-General, Administration, Sindh, Shamsuddin Zounr admitted that “some delay” had been caused, but maintained that the reason was the change in the procedure of disbursing the amount.
“The federal government wanted to undo the earlier system under which the person was required to open a savings bank account. Now, under the new registration system, the person only needs to bring his or her identity card and fill out a form. However, post offices will follow both systems to facilitate people,” he said, adding that there was no issue of service charges and post offices had remained welfare-oriented.
Retired Colonel Nadeem Ahmed, Pakistan Baitul Mal Sindh Director, however, maintained that the issue of service charges delayed the payment and it affected beneficiaries throughout Pakistan and not just in Sindh or Karachi.
‘Some confusion’
“The issue is resolved and it has been decided that the PPO would be paid Rs10 per transaction in the next budget. It was delayed a little more in Karachi because there was some confusion at the lower level and officials at post offices were thinking that the instructions for the disbursement of the allocated amount had not been received.”
However, he further said that all post offices in Karachi had received the money and were also provided with lists of beneficiaries. “Sindh has about 420,000 beneficiaries, of whom 40,500 are in Karachi. The payment of the 13th instalment – Rs3,000 per person annually – has already started in 10 districts in the interior of Sindh and should start in Karachi this week without any further delay.”
He clarified that the delay being caused in the interior of Sindh was due to the verification procedure and not due to any reasons on part of the Pakistan Post Office.
Responding to a question regarding any increase in the FSP amount in the face of rising inflation, he said the basic idea was to discourage beggary and support people to buy essential commodities. “No doubt the amount is very small considering the hike in food and fuel prices, but the philosophy was to help people buy some basic commodities. The downtrodden will also get some support from the recently initiated Benazir Support Programme, which will go along with the FSP.”
