By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the disbursement process of the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme on Monday to benefit those who lost employment as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.
The prime minister visited an Ehsaas cash distribution site set up at the Pakistan Sports Complex and met with the first batch of job-loss/livelihood-loss affectees, who received the emergency cash assistance of Rs12,000 each through the system.
On the occasion, he inquired from different people about the financial impacts in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. A number of affectees apprised him about their issues and expressed gratitude to the prime minister for the financial support through the cash programme.
The prime minister said the government took verious decisions for keeping continuity in the economical activities and had opened different sectors.
Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, PM’s Special Assistant on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and other senior officials also accompanied the prime minister.
Dr Sania Nishtar briefed the prime minister about the whole process.
She told the first batch of beneficiaries that the country was passing through difficult times and assured the government’s support to the vulnerable segments of society.
Nishtar also urged people to adopt precautionary measures. According to details, the donations under the PM Corona Fund are being utilised for the Ehsaas Emergency Cash to the deserving affectees. An Ehsaas Emergency Cash of Rs12,000 is being given to each individual. Till today, as many as 3.4 million applications had been received via Ehsaas Labour Portal since the prime minister launched it on May 2.
More than Rs 3 billion has been mobilized so far in the PM’s COVID-19 Fund and the pledges continue to be realized. The prime minister had committed that for each rupee donated by the donors, four rupees would be committed by the government. In the interest of transparency, details about the disbursement and withdrawal will be made public.
Abdul Razzaq, an affected driver of Bara Kahu, told APP that he was jobless for more than two months and expressed his gratitude to the government for the financial support. On Saturday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved a Rs75bn emergency cash assistance package for labourers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, under which they will be provided Rs12,000 a month.
