Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced the introduction of the Benazir Hari Card, a multifunctional tool designed to support farmers by integrating various governmental aid programs and enabling banking transactions directly through the card. This initiative aims to simplify and streamline the way agricultural subsidies and supports are delivered, ensuring efficiency and transparency.
According to Chief Minister Sindh, the Benazir Hari Card will allow farmers to benefit from a range of government schemes and manage their financial transactions including deposits, withdrawals, and balance checks via ATMs. The announcement was made during a meeting with agriculture officials, where the Chief Minister underscored the importance of the agriculture sector as the backbone of the national economy and discussed the details of implementing the new card system.
The meeting, attended by Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Bux Mahar, Secretary of Agriculture Rafiq Buriro, and other key officials, focused on the operational framework for the Benazir Hari Card. It was revealed that the card would initially be issued to over 150,000 verified farmers currently participating in the Wheat Seed Cash Reimbursement Program. The card system is designed to accommodate all agricultural landholders, regardless of the size of their landholding, and will support a streamlined registration process involving direct collaborations with Sindh Bank and Commercial Bank.
The Chief Minister detailed the digital infrastructure development for the Benazir Hari Card, which will be supported by the Sindh Water Agriculture Transformation Project in partnership with the World Bank. The system will involve comprehensive roles for the Revenue and Agriculture Departments, banks, and beneficiaries, ensuring accurate data collection and verification, including geo-tagging farm locations and authenticating farmer registration data through various administrative levels.
The session concluded with directives for ongoing database management to address any data discrepancies and ensure the accuracy of information before card issuance. The cards, once prepared, will be delivered to farmers at the Taluka level by the Agriculture Department, further establishing a systematic approach to enhancing agricultural productivity and support.