Dr Sania asks people to wait for SMS about relief amount
She said the eligible persons will be informed in another SMS in ten days' time
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar on Sunday said that more than 1.774 million families have benefited from Ehsaas Emergency Cash Relief Program so far.
Addressing a press conference Ehsaas Call Center in Islamabad on Sunday, she said that Rs22.46 billion have been disbursed as yet in this regard.
The special assistant said that the people who are eligible or not are informed through SMS. The eligible persons are further informed in another SMS in ten days time about the date and cash point of receiving payment.
Dr Nishtar said the people who are receiving any kind of salary for job should not apply for this facility as this is aimed at daily wagers only who have lost their livelihoods due to lockdown.
She went on to say that strict action is being taken against unscrupulous elements involved in deducting amounts from this cash.
“Transparency and merit is being ensured in processing the applications,” she said and advised people to visit cash points only after they are advised to do so.
Mentioning the hurdles being faced in smooth delivery of payments, Dr. Nishtar said few agents deducted the amount from the cash payment of Rs. 12,000 of the beneficiaries which will not be tolerated at all.
She warned that strict action will be taken against whosoever responsible for exploiting the innocent people. FIRs have been registered against 40 agents and were sent to the jails also.
The beneficiaries are also facing issues at some payment centers due to long queues, she said while urging those to reach payment centers only who received the message from the authorities with mention of date and time.
Dr. Nishtar informed that out of 17,000 payment centers, half of these have been opened while the others were delayed due to the lockdown restrictions in the provincial areas.
She said we are in efforts to open the rest of the payment centers in coordination with provinces through opening banks so that the crowding can be avoided in view of preventing Coronavirus.
