Govt to begin ration distribution among needy today

A four-member committee in each district will carry out the task on a daily basis

KARACHI: The Sindh government has finalised the plan for ration distribution among daily-wage workers and the needy, who have been severely affected by the province-wide lockdown that has been enforced since Monday. The daily disbursement of ration bags among the needy is to commence this evening (Saturday).

As announced earlier, the government has appropriated Rs20 million for the purpose for each district, in all of which a four-member committee will carry out the distribution of rations. The committees, headed by a member of the union councils, include officials of the revenue department, union council members and representatives of non-profit organisations as members.

To enable the distribution, the data of needy persons and daily-wage workers has been compiled for each district.



Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had ordered a committee, headed by Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, to devise a mechanism for ration distribution during the lockdown.

During a committee meeting on Friday, Shaikh said that the CM's directives pertaining to ration distribution are to be duly abided by the relevant officials and staff so that they could ensure that assistance reached the deserving ones during these challenging times.

"The government will not leave the poor helpless in this situation… and more funds will be released if the need arises," he assured.

Instructing the relevant officials to make all-out efforts to aid the needy, he said, "No poor [person] should sleep on an empty stomach."

The government has also increased the amount of living allowance, from zakat funds, to Rs6,000 per person.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2020.