The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Marvi Memon on Saturday visited various payment points and beneficiary households at Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu to inspect proper functioning of payment.
“BISP is fully committed to the timely release of full payments to beneficiaries by the banks, interact with the beneficiaries, and gain firsthand information regarding their satisfaction level with the service delivery and customer care,” the BISP chairperson said.
Whether it is scorching heat or freezing winters, BISP is always present at the service of the vulnerable and poorest of the poor, she said.
Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Speaker Fida Muhammad Nashad also accompanied the chairperson during her visit to Skardu, according to a news release issued here.
BISP recently released its quarterly payments worth Rs 25 billion in last week of December.
The payments in Skardu, Shigar and Khaplu were made through debit cards; therefore, the chairperson visited different ATMs and point of sale (POS).
The chairperson inspected the disbursement of the stipend at the remote payment points in Gilgit-Baltistan. She interacted with beneficiaries for their feedback.
She told them to contact BISP Hotline 080026477 in the case of any difficulty.
The chairperson visited the beneficiaries Zubeida, Fatima, Khadija and Amna Bibi at their homes in Shigar.
While condoling with Fatima Bibi on the martyrdom of her son in Wana, she said that the state was highly indebted to Fatima Bibi on her great sacrifice for the country. Later, she also visited beneficiary households in Khaplu for feedback.
The chairperson held meetings with local notables as well. She informed them about the new survey for National Social Economic Survey (NSER) update.
She stated that the pilot phase of the survey was under process in four districts, where desks were set up to register people.
The door-to-door survey will be launched in 12 pilot districts soon followed by the national roll out, she informed.
The local notables came up with suggestions regarding the new survey and poverty scorecard. The chairperson assured that their reservations have been noted and would be considered.
She reiterated that BISP was shifting its payment mechanism to Biometric Verification System (BVS) for payments. This will further ease payment mechanism and eliminate middleman culture, she maintained.
At present, 83.9 per cent of the beneficiaries were drawing their stipends through debit cards, whereas 13 per cent through the biometric mechanism and three per cent were receiving funds through Pakistan Post.