September 17, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1429

MUZAFFARGARH, Sept 16: The poor and the destitute who have been receiving monthly Guzara Allowance and Eid Package every year in Ramazan since 1980 are waiting for the financial aid owing to delays in the constitution of local zakat committees and notification of their chairpersons by the provincial government for the past 15 months.

Dawn has learnt that the previous government had dissolved zakat committees at union council level after they completed their annual tenure on June 30, 2007, but did not hold new elections to form new committees and elect their chairpersons.

A zakat department official said that there were 519

zakat committees in this district and each committee could recommend 14 men and women from their respective constituency.

The chairpersons of union council zakat committees work under the district zakat officer and the district zakat committee chairman, who is also selected through election at union council level.

Jindan Mai, a 57-year-old woman of Mahmood Kot, said she had been receiving Rs1,000 Guzara Allowance every month and Rs500 Eid Package every year in Ramazan but she was getting nothing for the past 15 months.

She said she went to the local zakat office and former local zakat committee chairman, Rana Khalil, but they said they could not do anything for her. She requested the provincial government to look into the matter.

Nazeeran, a 49-year-old widow, also approached the local zakat office and former chairman of zakat committee of her locality but to no avail.

When contacted, District Zakat Officer Rana Ahmad Raza told Dawn that he had not so far received any order from the provincial government regarding distribution of Eid Package and Guzara Allowance.

He said they could not do anything in the absence of notification regarding formation of zakat committees.