For common man’s relief

As the economy remains the toughest challenge for the incumbent government, Prime Minister Imran Khan is particularly focused on how to save people belonging to poor and lower-middle classes from the brunt of the prevailing economic crisis. For the purpose, he has launched Ehsas Programme for providing social protection to the vulnerable sections of society as part of his vision to alleviate poverty from the country. The programme — a package of various social services regarding provision of food and shelter to those in need, creating employment opportunities, taking steps for district development, etc — is now being consolidated with the merger of all social protection programmes being run at the federal and provincial level under a single framework. The PM’s Housing Programme to construct five million houses for the shelterless people of the country in five years is yet another initiative meant to improve the lot of the common man.

Currently, with inflation having turned into a double-digit demon, Prime Minister Imran realises the need to stop the prevailing price hike from taking its toll on the vulnerable class. Chairing a high-level meeting at the PM House yesterday, Imran directed a proper system to be introduced to keep a check on the prices of edible items. The formation of market committees, ordered by the PM, will help the authorities take action against hoarders and profiteers, and keep the prices within the common man’s purchasing power. The auction process at the markets also needs to be made transparent in order to discourage exploitation of farmers and enable them to get a fair profit of their labour. The PM’s orders for adopting an organised strategy will be genuinely helpful in the context. The concept of Sasta Bazaars, introduced in the federal capital, needs to be followed in other parts of the country too. That the PM realises that provision of sustenance to the poor is the responsibility of the state is heartening to know, indeed.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2019.

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