Murad releases Rs580 million for ration to daily-wagers

KARACHI: Sindh’s chief minister on Thursday released Rs580 million from the provincial exchequer to provide rations to daily-wagers and other needy people amid the province-wide lockdown due to the COVID-19 emergency.

Syed Murad Ali Shah decided to provide Rs20 million to each of the 29 districts of the province to distribute rations among the poor, particularly those who earn their wages on a daily basis.

He also decided that daily-wagers and other underprivileged people will be provided with financial assistance so that they could afford square meals and unavoidable minor expenditures.

The CM constituted a committee headed by Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh to devise a mechanism for distributing rations and providing cash to daily-wagers. The committee is scheduled to finalise its recommendations by Friday (today) evening. Different welfare organisations across Sindh are already working with the provincial government to provide rations to the needy people in different parts of the province. ‘Stay at home’ In a separate media statement issued on Thursday, the information and local government minister once again requested the people to cooperate with the Sindh government in these troubled times and follow its lockdown instructions strictly.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that by staying at their homes, the people would not only be able to protect their families but others around them as well.

He said that even in this difficult situation, the provincial government was working day and night to reduce the problems being faced by the people. He urged the people stepping out of their houses due to emergencies and other unavoidable circumstances to fully cooperate with the security officials on the roads, keeping in mind that they were carrying out their duties by risking their lives. He reiterated his appeal to the people, saying that without their cooperation, this battle against the coronavirus cannot be won.

The more the people cooperate, the sooner we will get rid of this pandemic, he added. On supporting the people affected the most by the lockdown, the minister said that Rs20 million will be provided to every district of the province.

Through this amount, the respective administrations of each of the districts can distribute rations among daily-wagers and other needy people in their jurisdictions on time, he added.

EXTRACT: The chief minister decided to provide Rs20 million to each of the 29 districts of the province to distribute rations among the poor, particularly those who earn their wages on a daily basis.