Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday formally launched the disbursement process of Ehsaas Emergency Cash on Monday.
The program is meant to provide relief to those unemployed due to the pandemic from the PM COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Ehsaas cash distribution site has been set up at the Pakistan Sports Complex. The PM met with the first batch of job-loss/livelihood-loss affectees during the launch, who received the emergency cash assistance of Rs12,000 each through the system.
On the occasion, he inquired from different people about the financial impacts in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. A number of affectees apprised him about their issues and expressed gratitude to the prime minister for the financial support through the cash programme.
Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, PM’s Special Assistant on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and other senior officials also accompanied the prime minister.
According to details, the donations under the PM Corona Fund are being utilised for the Ehsaas Emergency Cash to the deserving affectees.
An Ehsaas Emergency Cash of Rs12,000 is being given to each individual.
Till today, as many as 3.4 million applications had been received via Ehsaas Labour Portal since the prime minister launched it on May 2.
More than Rs 3 billion has been mobilized so far in the PM’s COVID-19 Fund and the pledges continue to be realized. The prime minister had committed that for each rupee donated by the donors, four rupees would be committed by the government.
In the interest of transparency, details about the disbursement and withdrawal will be made public.
Abdul Razzaq, an affected driver of Bara Kahu, said that he was jobless for more than two months and expressed his gratitude to the government for the financial support.
Shahida, an affectee female tailor from Rawalpindi, also expressed her satisfaction over the cash support and praised the prime minister for the initiative.
On Saturday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved a Rs75bn emergency cash assistance package for labourers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, under which they will be provided Rs12,000 a month.
