Adviser says KP govt taking steps for labourers’ welfare

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Adviser on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir has stated the labour plays a remarkable role in the development of a country.

He said this while briefing the media on the latest situation of the coronavirus on Friday, said an official handout. The adviser stated that the provincial government was well aware of the problems being faced by labourers during on ongoing lockdown enforced to overcome the rising number of coronavirus cases.

The adviser said the total number of labourers in the province was around 7.7million with majority associated with agriculture, livestock and fisheries followed by construction and manufacturing sectors. Talking about the lockdown across the province, the advisor said the industry, construction, services sector, hoteling, transport and wholesalers had been mostly affected by the lockdown.

However, the government never left the labourers alone as steps were taken to help them out. The adviser said the Ehsas Emergency Cash Programme assisted the labourers when the federal government disbursed Rs12000 among the deserving families, adding the provincial government, too, planned to disburse Rs6000 per family. He said a meeting of the Task Force on coronavirus pandemic was held in the provincial capital with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair. Talking about the latest situation on Covid-19 in the province, the advisor said 330 quarantine centres have been set up in KP which can accommodate 22,030 people.

Ajmal Wazir added that at present 106 quarantine centres housed 3,226 persons. He added that some 279 were offering services at the quarantine facilities. He said 246 new cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of the coronavirus patients to 2,627. The adviser said with 9 deaths, the total number of fatalities in KP has reached 146. Ajmal Wazir said that 40 patients had recovered in a day and the total number of patients defeating the virus in the province stood at 654.