Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme: Sindh wants cash aid routed through provincial government

In the backdrop of the federal government's ongoing drive to provide financial support to the deserving families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, Sindh is unhappy over the cash assistance by the centre and wants the funds distribution in the province to be routed through the provincial government, it is learnt.

The data released by the Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Division suggests, (till Sunday), Rs 16,588,728,000 were distributed to 454,349 beneficiaries in Sindh, Rs 68,97,432,000 to 574,786 beneficiaries in Punjab, Rs35,24,136,000 to 293678 beneficiaries in Punjab, Rs49,31,64,000 to 41,097 beneficiaries in Balochistan, Rs17,22,48,000 to 14,354 beneficiaries in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Rs 22,776,000 to 1,898 beneficiaries in Gilgit Baltistan and Rs 26,784,000 were distributed among 2,232 beneficiaries in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Requesting anonymity, a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) legislator told Business Recorder that Sindh government has serious reservations over the distribution of funds by the centre under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. Although, district administrations concerned in Sindh, other provinces, AJK and ICT are tasked to partially prepare the list of 3.5 million beneficiaries to be provided financial assistance of Rs 12,000 each to 12 million families under federal government's Rs 144 billion programme, the final decision on including any name in the list of the beneficiaries rests with the federal government authorities including Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Division and NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Moreover, the source said, the Sindh government also has serious concerns over the distribution centres set up by the federal authorities for the distribution of cash assistance. "In Sindh, we have tightened lockdown measures in the entire province to curtail the spread of coronavirus, especially in Karachi. But scores of distribution centres set up in the government schools throughout the country for the payment of cash to deserving persons are not strictly adhering to precautionary measures against the coronavirus. The women, particularly, elderly ones (60 years and above) are queuing up in big numbers to get cash assistance at the distribution centres. This is something we cannot afford in a province like Sindh where Covid-19 is spreading rapidly. But there isn't much we can do since this drive is managed by the federal government," the insider said. On the other hand, the federal government is also dissatisfied with the lockdown measures taken by provincial the government against coronavirus in Karachi especially in the political constituencies of the lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A PTI lawmaker from Karachi, who wished to remain unnamed, told Business Recorder that the Sindh government has tightened lockdown measures in several union councils that mainly fall in the constituencies of PTI's Members National Assembly (MNAs) and Members Provincial Assembly (MPAs) without informing the lawmakers or taking them into confidence. Recently, a video of the PTI MNA from Karachi Aamir Liaquat Hussain surfaced in which he strongly criticized Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah for ordering to lockdown union councils in Liaquat's constituency without informing him, which he said, deprived the residents of the related UCs to arrange food and ration for them during lockdown.

"If the centre remains reluctant in taking Sindh into the loop and continues with its solo flight in helping the needy, things may get serious in future, something the country cannot afford," the source said.