ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Friday expressed concern over the absence of chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) from its meeting with remarks that parliament should be given priority by officers discharging official duties.

Representatives of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety pointed out that the NDMA chairman should ensure his attendance in the next meeting.

The committee, headed by Saira Bano of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), had invited the NDMA chairman, Lt-Gen Inam Haider Malik, to give a briefing about distribution of relief funds among people of flood-hit areas.

The NDMA member (finance) apprised the committee that the chairman was engaged in relief operation being conducted for the affected people of Turkiye and Syria and could not attend the meeting. The committee, while appreciating the government for extending support to the victims of the earthquake, also underlined the need to accomplish relief operations for the flood victims in Pakistan.

Taking notice of absence of Gen Malik, the committee held that the chairman should have given priority to the parliament. The committee also unanimously decided to defer briefing in question till next meeting with directions to the member (finance) NDMA, to ensure attendance of the chairman in the meeting.

Secretary Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Yusuf Khan briefed the committee about steps taken for improvement in the existing system of disbursements amongst the beneficiaries. He said a new database built up on 35 million households, had been prepared under the ‘Dynamic National Socio-Economic Registry (NESR)-2023’ system which would turn into a leap towards an efficient and shock responsive social protection system. He said it was totally digitalised and connected with National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) containing frequent demographic updates.

It would be implemented through 647 tehsil level registration centres across Pakistan. About 591 centres had been made functional. In order to facilitate the inhabitants of far flung hard to reach areas, 50 trucks and 500 motorcycles had been hired under the Mobile Registration Vehicles System for collection of data. Initially, the campaign would be started from Balochistan and later on expanded to the rest of the country, he added.

The committee members pointed out that there were reports about deduction of Rs1, 000 to Rs1,500 in support money of beneficiaries by the agents which needed to be looked into by the authorities.

The department, admitting the fact, responded that in order to cope with the issue in question, 12,500 supervisors and ushers amongst the educated girls of these beneficiaries had been hired. Highlighting the issue of shortage of staff and tablets at BISP centres at Sindh, the committee members pointed out that the issue was causing concern amongst the general public. The department assured committee members that the issue would be addressed.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2023