The Making of Benazir Income Support Program

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), introduced in 2008-09, is a unique cash support scheme for economically stressed families. Its uniqueness arises from several facets. The cash transfers are provided only to women aged over 18 years and have been ever married. It is unconditional and aimed at supplementing income as opposed to alleviating poverty. It was politically neutral, given that the facility to identify potential beneficiaries was extended to all parliamentarians, irrespective of party affiliation. A set of filters, applied electronically, ensured objectivity in beneficiary selection. Disbursement mechanism was automated to ensure minimal leakage. This paper outlines the process of the preparatory work that went into designing BISP – the conceptual debates, the beneficiary identification and disbursement procedures, etc. – involving a combination of high quality research with political decision making. It also addresses the debates surrounding BISP, cites independent empirical studies that show that the parliamentarian-based beneficiary selection mechanism was efficient and equitable and did indeed cover the deserving, and also responds to the variety of criticisms. ______

Temporal Changes in Manuring Characteristics of Poultry Litter under Different Storage Conditions and its Use for Crop Production

This study was carried out by considering the importance of proper storage and composting of poultry litter (PL) for its nutrient conservation and stability. In the first experiment, five storage methods were compared for their effects on nutrient dynamics and microbial diversity in PL under composting and un- composting conditions. Storage methods included: shed, covered (plastic sheet), open-air, pit, and lined floor. The pile / pit size was 2 m × 2 m × 1 m (L × W × H or D), and the quantity of poultry litter in each one was 500 kg. Composite PL samples were collected after an interval of 15 days until 90 days for the determination of organic C, macro- (N, P and K) and micro-nutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) contents and microbial population counts. Data recorded during storage and/or composting were statistically analyzed through three-way ANOVA including time, storage methods and composting conditions as variables. There was significant successive reduction of organic C contents / C:N ratio and improvement in macro- and micro-nutrient concentration in the processed PL with increased storage time both under composting and un-composting conditions. Composting proved statistically superior to un-composting for all the parameters tested. Among the storage methods, PL composted under plastic cover resulted in the highest nutrient contents and the lowest C:N ratio; while shed storage without composting gave the poorest results. Composting under covered storage method gave significantly higher Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn contents (487, 277, 778 and 331 μg g- 1 , respectively) compared to that with other methods. Microbial populations in the PL under various treatments also varied significantly during the study period. The highest count of bacteria (8.36×108) was under composting at 60 days, while PL filled in pits showed the highest number (8.42×108). Actinomycetes population was highest (8.02×106) at 75 days of composting, and pit storage method gave the maximum count (8.85×106). The highest population of fungi (7.06×104) was found at 45 days of composting and in pit storage method (7.83×104). In the second experiment, composted and un-composted poultry litter obtained from Experiment-I were evaluated for their effects on soil fertility and wheat production in the field by employing split plot design with three replications. Composted PL resulted in significantly higher contents of soil organic matter and NPK at crop harvesting stage; further, these components were higher with the PL stored under covered or pit storage method. Wheat grain yield was also greater under composted PL treatments, while PL from pit and lined-floor storage gave statistically higher yield than from other methods. Open-air stockpiling performed the lowest in statistical terms. It is concluded that composting of poultry litter under plastic sheet cover provides the best storage conditions to conserve nutrient elements. Further, composting conditions favor the microbial activities to degrade the organic wastes faster, and their population is further enhanced under moisture-rich condition in the pits. Storage of poultry litter without providing the composting conditions in any of the storage methods delays its decomposition and stabilization. Similarly, the composted poultry litter has better fertilizer value than the un-composted one, as its application improves the soil characteristics and crop yields considerably.