Usman Buzdar urges legislators to monitor relief measures

Punjab taking lead in providing PPE, virus test facilities, says CM

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar urged public representatives on Saturday to keep constant liaison with the administrations of their districts to address the hardships of people in the prevailing circumstances.

In a letter written to provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and assembly members, he said the country was passing through a critical phase because of the coronavirus pandemic. He expressed the hope that they make all out efforts to deal with the current unusual situation.

He said the Punjab government had taken effective measures to prevent spreading of coronavirus and was confident it would soon be able to overcome the disease. He said Punjab was taking lead in providing personal protection equipment (PPE) to the doctors, setting up safety level-III labs and arranging Covid-19 testing kits and other essential items. He said Punjab would soon get the capacity of conducting 10,000 tests a day.

He said that quarantine centres, isolation wards and high dependency units had been set up throughout the province. The CM said the government was fully aware of the problems and difficulties of those who had become unemployed due to the pandemic.

Buzdar thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for approving increase in the financial aid for the destitute to Rs12,000 under the Ehsaas Kafalat Programme and Chief Minister Insaf Imdad Programme. He said that disbursement of the amount to the destitute had been started under the programmes.

He said that due to hoarding and profiteering, common people were facing financial problems. Keeping in view these hardships, it was national obligation of public representatives to keep constant liaison with the administrations of their districts.

The chief minister urged the public representatives to actively monitor the actions against hoarders and profiteers besides personally inspecting the steps being taken for anti-dengue campaign as well as Green Punjab Programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2020.