The local notables and beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Program BISP have demanded of the government to establish more centers at union council level or at least one two centers in sub tehsils for the women convenience and dignity.
The local notables after holding a meeting in Aloch tehsil Puran and women beneficiaries told journalists on Thursday that the women beneficiaries had been facing problems and their dignity affects while standing in long queues in the public markets for receiving the BISP stipends.
The district administration Shangla had decided to establish proper centers for distribution of BISP payments to women beneficiaries for meant to end the illegal practice of extra charging the women by the local retailers as the retailers used to deduct Rs 200-500 from each beneficiary in the installment.
Rehmanullah, Javid Ali and others told journalists in Puran after a meeting that the dignity of the women coming from rural areas and local towns had been affected at the BISP fund distribution camp and they had not proper mechanism for specific days for respective villages, union councils hence women from all over the sub-division come for the stipend to the single camp in Aloch Puran.
Rehmanullah said the district administration had established one funds distribution point in each sub-division and he appreciated the initiative which helped in controlling the corruption in the funds distribution and overcharging the women but the women dignity and honour badly affected as they queued whole day from early morning to evening in the scorching heat.
Javid Ali said the women who never came out from their houses in life now forced by the government to stand in long queues in the public market with their minor children to receive their stipends.
He urged the district administration either establish more camps in union councils or devised a policy in which day a particular village council women come to the centre for the stipend receiving.
He added that this would help both the management of the camp and those village women, they would book transport collectively and conveniently receive their stipends.
Qudsia Bibi an elderly woman came from Barbatkot a distant village in Bisham tehsil told Dawn that she came along with her daughter in laws for receiving the payment but the sun was blazing them, she never expected such a hot weather of Bisham city.
She said it was better that young boys came to their door and handed over the cash while receiving some specific amount but now this situation was unbearable even did not drink water nor available here.
The elderly woman said she was not aware when their turn would come to enter in the gate but to stand outside the building on the Karakoram Highway in the long queue.
Zubaida Khan, a woman came from Bobai, adjacent village of Bisham city said that for Rs 10,000 stipend she had to pay Rs 3500 to mini jeep in which she came for receiving the stipend.
She said they demanded the government to make alternate arrangements for the stipend distribution which should be convinent and dignified way of stipend receiving.
