OUR CORRESPONDENT
QUETTA Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Jam Kamal Khan said that the provincial government requested to federal government to provide special subsidy in gas and electric bills for Balochistan in order to decrease their financial difficulties. Talking to the media here at the Governor House, he said due to the ongoing lockdown, the business activities across the country had been affected, causing financial difficulties for the common men, particularly the workers class. ‘Poverty in Balochistan is higher than other provinces whereas overall economic situation is under strict pressure due to the coronavirus’, he said. He said he had also requested the Prime Minister to double the number of Benazir Income Support Programme’s (BISP) beneficiaries from 0.6 to 1.2 million. The chief minister said he had also sought the assistance of Federal Government in the procurement of wheat so that the province did not face food shortage. He said there was a possibility that the province would receive reduced funds from the Centre. They would approach the federal government regarding the NFC award, he added. Mir Jam Kamal said it was inevitable to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Some 8,000 Pakistanis, visas of most of them were expiring, were returning to the country. He said there were seven quarantine centers, where facilities would be further improved for controlling of the coronavirus. The provincial government was trying to establish permanent quarantine centres at Taftan on the Pak-Iran border, he added. CM said any decision regarding lockdown would be taken on April 14 after taking on the ground situation of coronavirus in the province. Meanwhile, Chairman of Distribution and Supervision PDMA Committee COVID-19, Saleh Nasir on Friday said wealthy, national and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are taking part in assisting hit people through Balochistan government’s formed committee during lockdown. He expressed these views while providing medical equipment for various hospitals of province form warehouse of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Special Secretary Health Zafar Abbasi, Additional Secretary Health Nasir Qaisar Khan Nasir, Additional Secretary Health Zeshan, PDMA Director Faisal Panizai, member of Distribution Committee Zaheer Baloch and other officers were also present on the occasion. He said Personnel Protective Equipments (PPEs) were provided to paramedical staffs, despite needy people are being helped in respective areas of province by donors of these welfare organizations and affluent in their supervisions. Chairman Distribution and Supervision PDMA Committee COVID-19 Saleh Nasir said that in the light of the Supreme Court order and the Prime Minister of Pakistan also emphasized on providing all necessary equipment for the protection of doctors and medical staff while the provincial government had already decided to take measures in this regard to cope the spread of the virus. ‘So now the government is distributing all items on emergency basis to the quarantine centers of hospitals including Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Civil Syndrome Hospital, Bolan Medical Complex, Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Murriabad Hospital, Mufti Mehmood Hospital Kuchlak, Helper Eye Hospital Quetta, and Children’s Hospital Quetta’, he said.