Stipend under Ehsaas Kifalat Programme raised
The government has increased the stipend for the beneficiaries of Ehsaas Kifalat Programme (Previously BISP beneficiaries) to Rs 2000 per month as all is set for launching of the pro-poor programme on Friday (tomorrow).
A total of 7 million deserving women will be enrolled across Pakistan under Ehsaas Kifalat Programme and in its first phase will be launched in 70 districts, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Division, Dr. Sania Nishtar said while talking to media here Wednesday.
She said that the one million beneficiaries will be enrolled in the first phase in 70 districts will start receiving Kifalat stipends from February to March this year, while the registration of the rest of the deserving poor across Pakistan will be completed in phases during 2020.
Dr Sania said that all existing eligible beneficiaries of BISP will continue to be part of Kifalat Programme however the mode of payment is being changed from quarterly payments to monthly payments. Earlier the BISP beneficiaries used to get a stipend of Rs5000 quarterly which was later increased to Rs5500.
However now the stipend under Kifalat programme has increased to quarterly Rs6000 where Rs2000 will be provided to the beneficiaries on monthly basis.
Regarding the enrollment of the beneficiaries, Dr Sania Nishter said that the beneficiaries will be identified through a household survey and Ehsaas NADRA Desk Registration Centers assisted by SMS and Kifalat web-service. At least one desk registration center has been established in each Tehsil.
A total of seven million most deserving women across the country will be enrolled in the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme to provide them cash assistance of Rs2000 monthly, interest free loans up to Rs75,000 and other facilities gradually in phases.
The registered households will pass through the data analytics to verify their eligibility and will be paid the amount through the new biometric Ehsaas digital payment system to ensure transparency. The women having their own bank accounts and bio-metric enabled ATMs will be able to draw money from Point of Sales (PoS) agents, dedicated branches and ATMs of Habib Bank Limited and Alfalah Bank which will save them from exploitation of sale agents.
Dr. Sania Nishtar informed that the cash assistance of Rs2,000 will be given on monthly basis during the first week through opening of saving accounts of beneficiaries.
The payment will be totally bio metric, made through two designated banks only and identification of beneficiaries will be conducted through door to door digital survey, data analytics, desk survey and web survey.