PESHAWAR: A delegation of tribal elite of Khyber district on Monday informed the ministers of their concerns in flour distribution process and asked to take immediate action to address the situation immediately.
The concerns were shared at a meeting held here at Civil Secretariat Peshawar with caretaker Minister for Labour Manzoor Afridi and Minister for Food Fazal Elahi. Director Food and other officials of the KP Food Department were also present on the occasion.
The tribal delegation was led by Tehsil Chairman Mufti Muhammad Kafeel and attended by others. The issues shared by tribal chiefs included non-availability of Benazir Income Support 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.
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 Benazir Income Program, they added.
The ministers said the government 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,” the meeting was informed.
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 deserving outside the Benazir Income Support 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.
