BISP beneficiaries seek payment centres at UC level.

CHITRAL -- The beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme have demanded of the authorities concerned to set up payment centres for them at union council level in Chitral.

They alleged that BISP failed to make the contractor, a private bank, to abide by the terms of the contract to disburse the quarterly stipend to them by arranging payment centres at union council level.

They said that as per terms of reference, the bank was bound to disburse the stipend through biometric verification system for which an apparatus was to be provided to each group of 500 beneficiaries.

The locals complained that for 19,500 beneficiaries, 39 apparatus should be distributed among the mobile phone franchises across the district but the existing number was not more than five given only in Chitral city, Drosh and Booni.

The beneficiaries of BISP from distant villages have to travel to one of the three towns by spending about half of the stipend money of Rs5,000 on travelling and staying in hotels.

They complained that travel expenses became doubled because a woman (beneficiary) was accompanied by a male member of the family.

They said that due...