Sindh govt to compensate daily-wage workers affected by markets closure

KARACHI: In a step to mitigate the hardship faced by the daily-wage workers owing to the markets’ closure over fears of spread of coronavirus, the Sindh government has decided to compensate the affected workers, ARY News reported.

Presiding over a meeting to discuss precautionary measures against the deadly virus, including closure of shopping centres, bazaars and restaurants, Sindh Minister for Education, Labour and Human Resources Saeed Ghani said that the provincial government will provide financial assistance to daily-wage workers within 48 hours.

Saeed Ghani said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has constituted a committee to facilitate the daily-wage workers.

On the occasion, he underscored the need for joint efforts to deal with the deadly virus.

High-ranking officials of Pakistan Army, Rangers, police, Chhipa Welfare Association, Edhi, Alamgir Welfare Trust and others were in attendance at the meeting.

Earlier on March 17, with the detection of more novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Sindh, the provincial government had ordered closure of restaurants and shopping malls across the province for 15 days in an effort to curb the spread of the infection.

All restaurants, malls, shopping centres, and parks will remain closed for 15 days, a spokesperson for the government had said.

The government had directed K-Electric to ensure uninterrupted power supply during what can be dubbed a partial lockdown in the port city.

However, the spokesman had said, all grocery and medical stores can remain open round the clock.