Mamnoon says it is responsibility of the state to ensure social and economic wellbeing of the people without any discrimination
President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday called for the expansion of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to improve the living standards of poor and deprived segments of the society.
Addressing a ceremony held in connection with the launch of the first ever impact evaluation report of BISP, the president said that more initiatives under the BISP should be launched for the welfare of the poor.
The president said it is the responsibility of the state to ensure social and economic wellbeing of the people without any discrimination and the income support program is playing an important role towards that end. He said that the program had truly become a pride of Pakistan as it had emerged as the largest social safety net initiative in South Asia and one of the largest around the world.
Hussain said the present government had raised the monthly stipend for the poor to fifteen hundred rupees in the last two years. The number of beneficiaries had increased from 1.7 million to more than five million. Funds for the BISP had also been increased to one hundred and two billion rupees. All these interventions reflect the pro-people intent of the government to extend a helping hand to the underprivileged and excluded segments of the society, he said.
The president also expressed satisfaction over the significant investment made in BISP Waseela Taleem program. He said that two years ago the program was stuck at five districts but it had now been rolled out to thirty two districts with more than seven hundred thousand children already admitted to schools under this initiative.
BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon said on the occasion that timely payment of cash grants to the beneficiaries of the program was being ensured on quarterly basis. She said efforts were also being made to introduce the monthly payment system.
Memon said that consultations were being held with micro finance institutions in order to frame programs which could steer the beneficiaries of this program out of poverty. She also announced that a new poverty survey would be conducted along modern lines.