SHANGLA: Women beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme have demanded more cash distribution points at union council level.

They said there should be more BISP centres at the union council level or, at least, two centres should be set up in sub-tehsils.

After a meeting in Aloch tehsil here, women beneficiaries of the BISP told reporters that they had to wait in long queues to receive cash handouts.

Qudsia Bibi, an elderly woman from the remote Barbatkot village in Bisham tehsil, said she had come to a BISP centre in Bisham city along with her daughter-in-law to collect financial assistance.

She complained that she had to wait for a long time in the scorching sun to receive payment.

“I don’t know when it’ll be my turn to collect the cash handout,” she told Dawn.

Zubaida Khan said she paid a mini-jeep Rs3,500 to get to the Bisham centre from Bobai village to receive just Rs10,000.

She demanded cash distribution to BISP beneficiaries in a “convenient and dignified way.”

The local elders also supported the call.

Rehmanullah and Javed Ali said the women from rural areas and far-off towns faced issues receiving cash handouts.

They said women from all over the sub-division came to an Aloch Puran centre to collect financial assistance.

Rehmanullah said the district administration had established a cash distribution point in every sub-division, a move that effectively controlled corruption in fund distribution and the overcharging of women.

He, however, complained that women’s dignity was badly hurt as they had to queue up in the scorching heat to receive money.

Javed Ali said the women who never stepped out of their houses were forced by BISP to stand in long queues in markets along with minor children to receive cash handouts.

“There should be more BISP points in union councils to give away cash to women. If that is not possible, then a day should be specified for the women of every village council to receive money to their relief,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024