SHANGLA: Residents of Shangla complained on Monday that cell phone outlets tasked with disbursing BISP stipends were involved in fleecing the poor women beneficiaries.

They said the system of cash withdrawal from Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was more transparent and quick than through the mobile phone franchises where people were forced in long queuesforhours to get the cash.

`I have submitted an application to deputy commissioner Abdul Kabir Khan to take prompt action against these franchises for disbursing less than the stipulated stipend to beneficiaries of BISP. Franchises usually give Rs4,500 instead of the Rs4,834, which is injustice with the poor beneficiaries,` Pervez Khattak, a resident of Alpuri alleged.

He said some bike riders along with automated machines visited villages and made payments to poor women beneficiaries after taking commissions from the amounts.

A resident of Bisham said the practice also continued in Bisham city and its suburbs. He said despite making complaints to the authorities nobody had cared to remove these irregularities in payment of BISP stipends.

He said the BISP Shangla office had also placed a public message, saying that the total amount to be paid to the beneficiaries was Rs4,834, and that complaints should be lodged with it if anyone paid less than that.

The political and social circles demanded of the government to take stern action against the violators.

When contacted, the deputy commissioner told this correspondent that he would take action against those depriving poor women of their due right.

ANTI-POLIO DRIVE: An emergency three-day antipolio campaign began on Monday throughout the Shangla district.

The drive has been started as a special initiative in some districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Dr Wajid Ali, EPI coordinator in Shangla, said total 757 teams had been deployed to vaccinate 173,559 children in the district, adding these teams would work under the supervision of 174 area supervisors.

He said the teams had been provided ice for maintenance of cold chain of polio vaccine. Correspondent