ISLAMABAD (Esfhak Mughal):- A serious embezzlement of over Rs.19.23 billion were unearthed in the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) as the amount was disbursed from out of district and province which could not trace so far. Single POS in Multan disbursed honorarium among women of different 39 district including Pishin, Kotli AJK, Upper Dir etc.
Sources in the BISP told the scribe, around 3.17 million out of district and province transactions amounting to Rs.19.233 billion (Avg Its 6057.77 per transaction as per total withdrawal) were made during the fiscal year 2018-19 which was first year of the government led by former prime minister Imran khan.
The Bank of Alfalah has made 557,108 out of district transactions, HBL has made 878,574, Sindh has made 11,329, Summit has made 54,451, Tameer has made 503,060, UBL has made 1.170,379 transactions and disbursed Rs.19.23 billion, according to the sources.
The beneficiaries of BISP belonged to the poorest of the poor segment of the society. All of them are women. There is very thin possibility of their movement from one district to another district or from one province to another province. There is least possibility of making transactions of beneficiaries from different districts/ provinces from one POS in a far-flung district. However, on the verification of record, it was observed that around 3.17 million out of district/ province transactions amounting to Rs 19.233 billion were made during the FY 2018-19.
Some franchises/ POS were found disbursing UCT payments of beneficiaries belonging to 39 districts at a time.
In case of `TARIQ MOBILE SHOP 2′ located in Mullen made withdrawal payments of beneficiaries belonging to 39 districts ranging from Gujranwala, Jhang, Jhelum, Mianwali, Charsadda, Dir upper, Kohat, Swabi, Kotli, Pishin, Pakpattan, Okara, Jaffarabad, Malakand, Lukki Marwat, Narowal, Mohmand Agency, Thatta, Tharparkar etc. 51 Franchises/ POS made out of district/ province withdrawals amounting to Its 1.5billion during the FY 2018-19.
92 beneficiaries was provided to Divisional Office DG Khan for verification of out of district withdrawals, which revealed that 53% beneficiaries were no traceable, 1 beneficiary was found that had shifted to Karachi and 23% beneficiaries ha died well before (ranging from 1-5 years) the dates of withdrawals
The verification report also stated that the amount of 19 percent embezzled but they didn’t lodge complaint earlier. Their complaints were obtained after verification and only four percent cases of embezzlement were found already reported to Tehsil Offices.
However, audit could not authenticate the out of district/ province withdrawals transactions due to non-availability of the updated information required to physically verify the beneficiaries their updated/ complete addresses, contact numbers etc