F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has made special arrangements for the free flour distribution scheme in Khyber and other merged districts as else in other parts of the province. Henceforth, in the next couple of days, distribution of free flour would be started to one lakh 68 thousand poor families in the three tehsils of Khyber, Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal under Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). It would be given at the rate of three bags per poor family under the supervision of the district and tehsil administration.
This was disclosed by the caretaker Minister for Labour and Excise Haji Manzoor Khan Afridi and Minister for Food Haji Fazal Elahi in a meeting with a 80 members delegation of tribal elite of Khyber district at Civil Secretariat Peshawar.
Director Food and other officials of the KP Food Department were also present on the occasion.
The delegation led by Tehsil Chairman Mufti Muhammad Kafeel welcomed the free flour package in the holy month of Ramazan and praised the provincial government for this generous initiative.
However, the participants of the delegation also informed them of their concerns in flour distribution process.
The issues included non availability of Benazir cards with tribals in the merged districts, delay in the clearance of beneficiaries due to lack of internet facilities, women not leaving homes due to tribal tradition and the possibility of mismanagement.
Upon this, both the provincial ministers explained that there is no need for women to leave their homes, but they can send any of their male heirs for receiving the free flour.
Similarly, distribution of flour will be completely transparent under Beneezer Income Program, they added.
The ministers further said that despite the lack of resources, the provincial government is spending Rs 19 billion on this package in just one month. Regarding the poor mustahiqeen (beneficiaries) outside the Benazir Income Program, they explained that in this regard, the district administration has also been instructed to register more beneficiaries as well so that more poor tribal families could benefit from the incentives of this BISP scheme later too.
Minister Excise Haji Manzoor Afridi further assured that the tribals could inform him of any of their problems in this regard and he would continue to serve them round the clock during Ramadanul Mubarak.
On this occasion, collective prayers were also offered for the progress and prosperity of the nation and country as well as the success of this poor friendly scheme.
