Punjab CM Buzdar orders schools to cut fees by 20%

LAHORE: The government of Punjab has decided to slash school fees by 20% throughout the province during the ongoing holidays, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar announced on Monday, as leaderships attempt to shield the public from economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Punjab government has decided that "the fees will be collected on a monthly basis", Buzdar said on Twitter.

The CM added that schools were barred from firing any of the staff and teachers and were also directed to pay the salaries on time.

Speaking to the media earlier today, he further said an additional five field hospitals in Punjab would begin work to treat coronavirus patients.

"The field hospitals have been set up in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, and Jhelum," he said, adding that almost 15 million people had applied for the "Insaf Imdad Programme" launched by the government.

Rs10bn programme

Buzdar had last month approved the CM's Insaf Imdad Package worth Rs10 billion, directing all the concerned parties to ensure an early launch of the package to distribute financial aid among the needy families through a foolproof mechanism.

A sum of Rs4,000 would be given to each of the 2.5 million deserving families under the plan.

The CM had said the financial grant was in addition to the federal government's relief package to facilitate the daily-wagers amid a health crisis. He had added that applications for the plan would be received online and after the verification process, the money would be transferred to those deserving of it.

He directed that the application form be simplified and only the necessary information — such as names, CNICs, and mobile phone numbers of the applicants — be collected.

The underprivileged families would not be left alone in the crisis, he had assured those gathered at the meeting.