Bengali resigns due to rift with Farzana

KARACHI - Veteran Economist Kaiser Bengali who was patron of Benazir Bhutto Income Support Programme (BISP) has tendered his resignation as Coordinator of BISP due to his differences with PPP MNA Farzana Raja, who is the Chairperson of the programme.

Kaiser Bengali, a favourite member of the economic team of President Asif Ali Zardari was recently appointed as Coordinator of Benazir Income Support Programme. Bengali is the architect and key figure of this programme.

Kaiser Bengali who gave the idea of establishing the BISP to the PPP led coalition government has refused to work under PPP MNA Farzana Raja and tendered his resignation.

He is of the view that with the appointment of Farzana Raja the PSIB would become a political forum rather than a social-cum-economic platform to support the deserving people in the country.

So far, the President had not accepted Bengali's resignation, sources confirmed.

The sources privy to this issue told TheNation that several PPP central leaders have also expressed their surprise over the appointment of PPP leader Farzana Raja as Chairperson of the programme and urged Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani that Benazir Income Support Programme should continue under the supervision of Kaiser Bengali who had not only successfully launched the programme but also made solid steps to implement it in letter and spirit.

The sources said that PPP central leaders and legislators have reservations over resignation of veteran economist and urged the party top leadership to revoke decision of appointment of PPP MNA Farzana Raja.

It is recalled here that the programme envisaged over Rs 34 billion support and Bengali vowed that the programme would be entirely transparent.

PPP circles believe that the resignation of Kaiser Bengali would be a blow to PPP and urged President Asif Zardari that the resignation will have negative impact on the image of the party and the civil society. Under the scheme, a poor family would be given Rs 2,000 after every two months while 3 million people will get benefit from it.

The programme is the outcome of the vision of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, whose heart was always with the underprivileged sections of the population.

The Nation tried to contact Kaiser Bengali and Farzana Raja to get their viewpoint over this issue, but their cell-phones were switched off.