Pensioners receive monthly amount at doorstep amid coronavirus pandemic
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 24, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Nearly 1.3 million pensioners have started receiving their monthly amounts at their doorstep for the first time in the country’s history as coronavirus affected over 950 people nation-wide, ARY NEWS reported.
The initiative was taken by Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to facilitate the pensioners.
The Pakistan Post has started delivering the amounts at the doorstep of pensioners as the federal postal minister would oversee the entire process for safe transfer of funds amid coronavirus pandemic.
Other than the minister, the BPS 20 and BPS-21 officers in the postal department would also monitor the entire process on ground. It is pertinent to mention here that normally the pension is transferred to the retired government employees on every second date of a month, however, this time, the process began prior from March 24.
Speaking regarding the facility, Murad Saeed said that they have taken the decision to facilitate elderly people out of health concern amid rising coronavirus tally.
In a routine, the elderly pensioners travel via public transport and had to stand in long queues to receive their monthly amounts, he said adding that they took the decision to avoid such process and would complete their task on time.
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It is pertinent to mention here that the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has surged to 958 after new cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.
Out of the total novel coronavirus cases, 407 were reported so far in Sindh, 267 in Punjab, 110 in Balochistan, 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 78 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas, 15 people were diagnosed with the deadly virus in federal capital Islamabad and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) health authorities reported the emergence of 40 new cases, taking the total count in the province to 78.