Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Marvi Memon called on Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan to discuss the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) survey and strengthening of BISP in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Currently, organizational coverage of BISP in AJK is spread over three divisions Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Poonch. In these divisions, there are 30 effective offices that are providing services to its 106,193 BISP beneficiaries.
The meeting was attended by Senior Minister/Minister for Housing, Physical Planning and Agriculture Ch Tariq Farooq, Minister for Law and Electricity Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan, Minister for Finance, Planning and Development Dr Najeeb Naqee, Minister for Social Welfare Raja Noreen Arif, Minister for Works Ch Muhammad Aziz, Minister for Education and MCDP Barrister Iftikhar Gillani, Minister for Revenue Sardar Farooq Sikander and officials of AJK government and BISP, said a news release.
While briefing the AJK PM, Memon said support of the AJK government would be pivotal for successful completion and absolute coverage of AJK population in NSER survey, as half a million people lived near Line of Control (LoC) under volatile security situation.
She said that countrywide national roll out of survey for NSER would start after completion of the pilot phase. The new survey is technology-enabled that would address the deficiencies of the previous survey of 2010-11 and make BISP the top social safety net worldwide in terms of targeting and selection.
PM Farooq Haider ensured that AJK government would fully support and facilitate the NSER survey teams keeping in view the difficult terrain and security situation of the area. He congratulated her on winning prestigious international awards. He said that by winning British Speaker’s Democracy Award and French National Order of Merit, she has brought honour to the country. The PM appreciated her concern for the Shuhada of LoC cross-firing and thanked her for visiting their homes for condolence.
The BISP chairperson apprised the PM on the expansion of BISP Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT) to two more districts Neelum and Haveli in AJK. She said enrollment that would start in March 2018 was expected to enroll 10,374 children in Neelum and 16,442 in Haveli. Currently 40,220 children were enrolled in AJK under WeT that included 13,339 children in Bagh, 19,140 in Kotli and 7,741 children in Mirpur. She also visited BISP beneficiary Parveena Bibi at her home in Manuak
