The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has blocked 229,157 government employees or their spouses from receiving financial assistance after identifying them through audits, while recovering Rs712.4 million from ineligible recipients, the government has informed Parliament.
Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah, in a written reply to a parliamentary question, said the recovery comprised Rs545.784 million through the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Rs21.550 million from BISP employees and Rs145.066 million from other government departments.
The minister said recovery proceedings had also been initiated against 236 BISP employees, with disciplinary action taken against delinquent officials.
He added that updated data of government employees and pensioners had been obtained from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), ministries, autonomous bodies and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while more than six million records had been forwarded for profiling and further action.
According to the reply, 32,971 of the 229,157 blocked cases involving government employees or their spouses had been exempted from recovery because their monthly pension was Rs29,000 or below, in accordance with a decision of the BISP Board.
The minister said the process of data updating, profiling, blocking and recovery was continuing, adding that the number of irregular or ineligible beneficiaries and the recoverable amount could change as the exercise progressed.
Responding to concerns over illegal deductions, unauthorised charges, fraudulent biometric verification and other malpractices in BISP payments, the minister said complaints were examined individually and action was taken under the applicable rules.
Cases involving banks and payment service providers were referred to the relevant institutions for investigation and resolution. Depending on the findings, corrective measures could include penalties, recovery of irregular amounts and other action against those responsible.
The minister said legal or disciplinary proceedings were also initiated where fraud or serious malpractice warranted such action to safeguard beneficiaries’ payments.
BISP currently disburses financial assistance through the retail networks of six partner financial institutions (PFIs). The minister said these networks were monitored through field visits, beneficiary complaints, system-based controls, inspections and audits.
Where irregularities were detected, action could include suspension or blacklisting of agents, recovery of amounts and penalties under contractual provisions.
However, the reply did not provide the consolidated number of bank branches, campsites, agents, point-of-sale (POS) agents and ATMs involved in disbursement, or the total number of agents suspended, blacklisted or proceeded against. The bank-wise and province-wise details were referred to an annexure.
The government said BISP was gradually shifting towards digital and direct payment mechanisms through Social Protection Wallets (SPWs) to reduce human intervention and beneficiaries’ dependence on intermediaries.
The initiative aims to provide beneficiaries with greater choice, transparency, convenience and security while ensuring they receive the full amount sanctioned under the programme.
The minister said BISP had also developed and implemented an Integrated Grievance Management System (IGMS), integrated with partner financial institutions to streamline complaint handling and improve transparency and payment security within the State Bank of Pakistan’s regulatory framework.
Further development of the grievance management system would be undertaken gradually according to need, he added.