In a devastating blow to public trust, an explosive investigation has revealed rampant corruption and mismanagement within the Benazir Nashunama Programme, under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an initiative meant to provide essential healthcare and nutritional support to mothers and children. Instead of aiding the most vulnerable, this multi-billion rupee programme is plagued by deceit and negligence, leaving countless families struggling in despair.
.According to an internal audit report, substantial discrepancies have been identified in the implementation of the programme, narrating a shocking tale of falsified beneficiary lists, improper fund disbursements, and field staff manipulating data to secure funds for non-existent recipients. An irregularity of Rs799 million in the salaries of staff working on the project was detected, wherein both the World Food Programme and the Benazir Income Support Program were charged for these payments.
Requesting an independent financial audit to identify the extent of misappropriations and ensure accountability, the World Food Programme has suspended operations, mandating that the management be taken from the government and handed to a non-governmental organisation.
The report also highlighted that funds allocated for nutritional support have not been reaching many intended recipients, leading to questions about the disbursement process and accountability within the ranks of local health officials.
Additional findings indicate that a significant number of registered beneficiaries were either fictitious or ineligible for the programme. The report points out that many designated field workers and local health officials have been found manipulating data and submitting false claims to secure funds for non-existent beneficiaries. At least 11 ghosted employees were also identified with CNICs registered in Peshawar, with 38 individuals reportedly working in other districts without proper recruitment procedures.
Moreover, the audit identified lapses in monitoring mechanisms, which have allowed these irregularities to go unchecked. The lack of oversight has effectively resulted in the misappropriation of resources that could have otherwise been used to alleviate the nutritional deficits experienced by countless families.
In a direct response to the findings, Provincial Health Secretary Adil Shah strongly denied the allegations, stating that there was an agreement between the KP government and the BISP wherein the WFP was directly handling funds. He further stated that an immediate investigation would still be initiated to address the discrepancies. Nevertheless, independent inquiry into the affairs revealed that WFP transfers monthly funds to the nutrition cell being operated by the Department of Health.
The KP government is now under pressure to take decisive action to rectify the situation and ensure that the Benazir Nashunama Programme fulfils its intended purpose. However, seeing a firm rejection of these accusations by Program Director Fazal Majid, who insisted that no such issues have been highlighted by the WFP, one is still uncertain as to the progress of the investigations.
