Farzana for distinguishing Smart Card from Watan Card

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Farzana Raja has said that its imperative to distinguish Benazir Smart Card from Watan Card as the latter is only a mean to provide one -time financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to all flood victims. The Benazir Smart Card is a permanent instrument to deliver monthly cash assistance to poor families registered with BISP in a effective and transparent manner, said this while talking to media representatives BISP Secretariat. Farzana Raja said the introduction of Benazir Smart Card would redress all issues pertain to delivery of regular cash grant to beneficiaries of BISP. She said Smarts Cards have already been given to beneficiary families in four districts of the country - Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Multan and Mianwali as a pilot project. The experiment has been proven as a success and its being extended to entire Pakistan after completion of ongoing countrywide poverty survey, she added. The Chairperson of BISP, in response to a query, said Benazir Smart Card would be provided to beneficiary families in every district once the survey is completed in that particular district. She said mixing Benazir Smart Card with Watan Card might result as confusion among the BISP beneficiaries as well as flood victims. It is imperative to differentiate them for the purpose of clarity. Farzana said after completion of poverty survey in a district, the experimental launching of Mobile Phone Card would also be initiated immediately.

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