Schools in Punjab directed to slash fees by 20% on orders of CM Buzdar

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Monday announced that the provincial government had decided that it will cut the school fees across the province by 20% during the ongoing holidays as part of measures to shield the public from the economic impact of a lockdown enforced to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The CM, in a tweet, said that the schools have also been instructed to collect the fees a monthly basis. He added that the schools have also been directed to pay the salary of all its staff and teachers on time, and have been barred from firing them. 

Speaking to the media on Monday morning, Buzdar further said that an additional five field hospitals will begin work in Punjab to treat patients from the coronavirus. 

"The field hospitals have been set up in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Jhelum," he said. CM Buzdar also said that close to 15 million people have applied for the Insaf Imdad Program launched by the government. 

Also read: CM Punjab Usman Buzdar approves Insaf Imdad Package amid virus crisis

What is the Insaf Imdad Program?

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had last month over a meeting at his office in Lahore on Monday in which he approved the Chief Minister’s Insaf Imdad Package worth Rs10 billion.

On this occasion, the CM directed those concerned to ensure early launch of the package for distribution of financial aid among the needy families through a foolproof mechanism.

A sum of Rs4,000 will be given to 2.5 million deserving families each under the plan. Buzdar said that financial grant under Chief Minister Punjab Insaf Imdad Package would be in addition to the relief package of the federal government to facilitate the daily-wagers amid a health crisis.

Giving details of the package, CM Buzdar said that the applications for the plan would be received online and after the verification process, the money would be transferred online to those deserving of it.

He directed that the application form be simplified and only the necessary information, like names, CNICs and mobile phone numbers of the applicants, be collected.

The Punjab government has taken unprecedented steps for dealing with coronavirus and the underprivileged families will not be left alone in the crisis, he assured those gathered at the meeting.