Marginalized sections of society: Senate body censures ministry

Senate Special Committee relating to the marginalised segments of the society has censured the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms for not having any policy regarding uplift of the poor people. In its second interim report presented in the Senate on Friday, the committee said the ministry failed to present any advisable guideline to it during the course of briefing and the committee expressed its resentment over such an irresponsible behavior of the ministry.
The committee has reiterated its proposal regarding establishing of a separate ministry to address problems of the marginalised segments of the society. "Briefing of the Ministry of PD&R was totally declined to the agenda item. No policy/guideline was chalked out to categorise the marginalised segments of the society," it said.
The committee in its report also said that no data of the marginalised segments is available with the ministry. "Detail of expenditure incurred on welfare of marginalised segments during the last three years was not provided," it added. The report said that lack of co-ordination between the federal and provincial governments was observed on the subject issue. It added that no programme was under consideration with Pakistan Baitul Maal for the people residing in far-flung areas of the country.
No proper mechanism was available with Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to identify the non-deserving people as well as recovery of delivered amount and penalty in case of fake registration, the report highlighted. The report also said that some shortcomings were observed in the data of the BISP, which was required to be updated to make it 100 per cent transparent and reliable.
The committee recommended that the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms should submit the categories of marginalised segments of the society, imitative for their assistance and the programmes to give them a respectable status in the society along with details of expenditure made in last five years on all such programmes.
The committee also urged the Managing Director Pakistan Baitul Maal to span their network to far-flung areas of the country by focusing the rehabilitation of disable persons, women empowerment and persons suffering from chronic ailments. The Finance Division should ensure the allocation of sufficient funds in respect of all support programmes well in time to avoid any hurdle in its smooth functioning, it said.
The committee in its report also urged the BISP chairperson to update the data by adopting biometric system and ensure transparency in distribution of stipend by using new technology. It also asked the BISP to share its data with other willing organisations in the public interest.
The committee directed the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms to formulate a clear-cut policy to categorise the marginalised segments and prepare 100 per cent reliable countrywide data of such segments in co-ordination with the provincial governments, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and BISP to go ahead for their betterment.