Lockdown to be eased with SOPs; says minister

Ansar says govt will help people hit by lockdown

SARGODHA: Punjab Minister for Labour and Manpower Ansar Majeed Khan said on Tuesday that the government is taking steps to ease the lockdown restrictions with certain conditions.

During a visit to an Ehsaas Emergency Cash Centre at Government High School Dhareema, he expressed hope that with the strategy of the government and full cooperation of the people, the country would overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was aware of the problems of the people, he claimed. “It is due to this that the country’s historic economic package was announced to protect the people from coronavirus as well as to bring economic stability to poor families.”

He added that after the success of two phases of Ehsaas programme, payments for another big package were also being started for daily wagers and those who had lost their jobs during the lockdown. “This would benefit more than 17.5 million poor people in the country.”

He further said that the government had tried to benefit the people practically by taking two-month relief for tenants, ease in payment of utility bills and taking historic measures to cut the prices of petroleum products. The provincial minister maintained that the government would continue offering assistance under the relief package.  

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2020.