ISLAMABAD: The government unveiled two key changes to the way cash grants are disbursed to the most deserving under the umbrella of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), making it possible to receive payments directly in bank accounts and linking the disbursement to school enrolment.

The Benazir Social Protection Account, launched on Friday, will give beneficiary women the option to select a bank of their choice, and they would be able receive payments directly in their accounts, which could be withdrawn at their convenience.

The National Bank of Pakistan, Bank Alfalah, JS Bank Limited and United Bank Limited have been initially selected for the new payment model through a competitive process, explained Shazia Marri, the minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety.

Under BISP, she said a targeted subsidy of Rs16.3 billion (Rs 2,000 each) was also being provided to 8.6 million families to mitigate the effects of a sharp hike in the prices of petroleum products, contributing to spiraling inflation.

PM advocates linking payments to enrolment of beneficiaries’ children; unveils plans to distribute another 200,000 laptops among students

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also directed BISP authorities to place a condition for programme beneficiaries to get their children enrolled in schools.

He said after a certain period, a condition should be placed on all beneficiaries that they will only be able to obtain their stipends if they send their children to schools.

“We will not be promoting an army of beggars but [raising] an army of doers, who will build Pakistan with their mental and physical capacity,” PM Shehbaz told the audience at the launch of the Social Protection Accounts.

Furthermore, the number of families eligible for the BISP had risen from 7.6 million to 9 million, Ms Marri added.

The minister also highlighted the enhancements made in stipends and educational scholarships. In 2022, she said, the quarterly stipend under the Benazir Kafaalat Programme was Rs 7,000 per family, and after a 25% increase, it was now Rs 8,750.

Similarly, the number of children benefiting from the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif rose from 2.6 million in 2022 to 7.52 million in 2023, she added.

Ms Marri said the Benazir Undergraduate Scholarship Programme awarded 82,000 scholarships in 2022, which increased to 92,003 scholarships during the current year.

Additionally, 770,000 mothers and their children were currently benefiting from the Benazir Nashonuma Prog­ram­­me, while under the Fuel Subsidy Programme Rs.16.3 billion was distributed among 8.3 million households, she added.

Laptop programme

Also on Friday, PM Shehbaz inaugurated the latest edition of the Youth Laptop Scheme — a continuation of one of the most famous initiatives from his days as the Punjab chief minister.

Speaking at the occasion, he said his government was committed to empowering the youth of the country, which was the key to ensuring the development and prosperity of Pakistan.

He recalled how the laptops earlier distributed by his administration in Punjab had helped a lot of students during the Covid pandemic, when most classes shifted online, adding that these machines also enabled them to earn their bread and butter by working from home as freelancers.

The prime minister maintained that it had been his mission to provide every youth with a laptop machine, adding that a total of 200,000 laptops would be distributed on merit and no influence will be accepted in this regard.

Land management system

Separately, the PM also attended the inauguration of the Land Information and Management System — Centre of Excellence. Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir was also present on the occasion.

The establishment of LIMS is the first initiative aimed at enhancing food security and improving agri-exports, reducing import burden on the national exchequer by transforming millions of acres of uncultivated land from low-yield to productive.

The GIS-based LIMS will greatly improve the national agri-yield by streamlining the digitisation of agriculture, providing real-time information to local farmers about soil, crops, weather, water resource and pest monitoring through remote sensing and geospatial technologies as well as minimizing the role of middlemen through efficient marketing system.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2023