PESHAWAR: Serious irregularities have been detected in implementing the Benazir Nashunama Programme (BNP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting financial misappropriations, ghost employees and non-compliance with monitoring mechanisms.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has halted the programme in the province. The WFP has requested an independent financial audit to identify the extent of misappropriations and ensure accountability. The programme’s management has also been decided to be taken from the KP government and handed over to NGOs to ensure better accountability and transparency.
The BNP, under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), aims to improve maternal and child health by providing essential services and nutritional food supplements to pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five.
Official documents with this scribe indicate an irregularity of Rs799 million in the salaries of staff working on the project. Workers and staff have not been provided with payment slips detailing salary deductions. Despite this, the department has charged both the WFP and BISP the full cost of these payments. These irregularities amount to approximately Rs799 million, representing 30 percent of the estimated Rs2,664 million BNP funds transferred from the WFP to the KP.
The official documents reveal that the Provincial Nutrition Cell, under the BNP annual work plan, is claiming substantial monetary reimbursements from the WFP for monitoring BNP activities. However, the Cell itself is responsible for implementing these projects, presenting a clear conflict of interest. The document states that the designated complaint and feedback mechanism for BNP beneficiaries has been obstructed. Instead of routing complaints through independent channels, the Nutrition Cell has taken control of this process. This raises concerns about potential information bottlenecks and the dismissal of anonymous complaints.
Similarly, the documents indicate that the internal governance check (GC) revealed the existence of 11 ghost employees within the BNP in KP. These ghost positions have primarily been linked to Peshawar district CNIC numbers, with 38 individuals reportedly working in other districts without proper recruitment procedures.
Incidents of illegal selling of BNP-provided specialised nutritious food have been reported in several districts, including Nowshera, Bajaur, and Peshawar (specifically in Peepal Mandi wholesale bazaar). However, no action has been taken against the responsible staff.
Meanwhile, in light of the ongoing irregularities, the WFP has decided to transfer the BNP’s financial and human resource components from the KP government to WFP cooperative partners and NGOs. This shift aims at enhancing accountability and ensure the proper utilisation of funds. The Planning and Development Department has been requested to establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) to ensure effective monitoring and a transparent system for fund utilisation.
The WFP has made several attempts to engage relevant stakeholders in the KP government to address the identified irregularities. However, despite multiple formal communications with key officials, the KP government has not responded.
Provincial Health Secretary Adil Shah strongly denied the allegations, stating that there was an agreement between the KP government and the BISP, while the WFP is operating under an agreement with the BISP in the province. He mentioned that the WFP had been repeatedly asked to provide credible information regarding complaints so that action could be taken, as no action could be taken on anonymous complaints. He further stated that the WFP was insisting on giving the programme to some NGOs in the province, even though there is no mention of a third party in the agreement.
The secretary said that despite this the provincial government had shown a willingness to hand over the programme to NGOs, but NGOs need an NOC to work in the province, and as of yet, no NGO has received the NOC. Adil Shah mentioned that the provincial government wanted to continue the programme but certain elements aim to defame the provincial government, while the direct connection with the use of funds lies with the provincial government. He added that in some places, the WFP staff was also involved in the sale of materials, and a report is available on that. Meanwhile, Program Director Fazal Majid assured that they were in continuous communication with the global organisation and have responded to all of its correspondences. He firmly rejected the claim of Rs800 million irregularities, emphasising that such issues have not been identified by the WFP.
Chief adviser urges global leaders to send top experts to dig into how “plain and daylight robbery” was committed...
“Musharraf asked me to follow him into the restroom and assure US president," Justice Irshad tells Mushahid
Former diplomats criticise Washington for shaping its relationship with Pakistan based on its ties with China and India
Beautification initiatives involved planting seasonal flowers, flowering trees, shrubs, and installing various...
Former CJP says there was no justification for having this sort of conversation in washroom when this could have been...
CM Shah urges delegation members to serve public in best possible manner during their upcoming civil service