UMERKOT: Recipients of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Umerkot alleging corruption in BISP centre staged protest demonstration at Allahwala Chowk and demanded to introduce Bio-metric Verification System to avoid corruption and difficulties to them. Scores of protestors among women took out a rally and burnt tyres. They complained being illiterate and not able to operate Automated Teller Machines, a large number of cardholders have been cheated by agents as they charge them Rs 300 per card. “If we attempt wrong pin codes thrice, card goes locked or retired, which takes months in replacement and various visits to BISP Centre”. Naseeba Roonjho said that she has been facing replacement problem of card at BISP centre since weeks. Laxmi Meghwar said she had nothing to grease palm of staff. Deputy Director BISP Umerkot Abdul Hadi Qureshi said after having scores of complaints regarding corruption in BISP Centre and presence of agent mafia at Centre and ATM machines, high-ups has posted him here with the task to address complaints. According to him 75,000 beneficiaries have been registered in district, 10,000 BDC stands locked/damaged or expired due to putting wrong pin codes, replacement of which takes more than a month. The Centre also deals scores of visitors for DBCs and around estimated 30,000 new beneficiaries are being registered in September 2017 through re-survey, he added. He assured BVS would be introduced soon and all locked DBC and replacement work has been stopped to avoid corruption. Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2017.