MANSEHRA: The labourers, who are unable to resume duties at the 880MW Suki Kanari hydropower project here due to the lockdown, have threatened to come onto the roads if their two-month salary and other benefits announced by the government under Covid-19 SOP are not paid within next three days.

“Since the lockdown was imposed about two months ago some of the workers could not join the duty, but they have been deprived of salary and other benefits,” Tahir Hussain Shan, president of labourers’ union, told reporters after a meeting here the other day.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution, asking the executing company to clear their dues, or they would stage protests in Hassan and Balakot areas.

He lamented that the labourers were also not given the financial package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

When contacted, Bilal Khan, the deputy director commercial and technical affairs of the company, told Dawn that since the Covid-19 pandemic had started, labourers were asked to stay at the project site to avoid spread of the deadly disease.

He said those who used to come daily to the project site were not allowed to join duty because of the pandemic. He said they would be allowed in once the pandemic was over.

“We have been paying salaries and other benefits to the permanent employees as per the Covid-19 SOP laid down by the government,” said Mr Khan.

EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED TO HOSPITALS: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has supplied personal protection equipments and surgical instruments to hospitals across the Hazara division in order to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Talking to reporters here the other day, Hazara division commissioner Zaheerul Islam said the people should understand the importance of social distancing to help effectively fight the coronavirus outbreak.

The commissioner said that the administrations of all the districts had been regularly visiting the bazaars in order to ensure availability of essential commodities across the division.

He said utility stores had been made operational in Dasu and Pattan, the district headquarters of Upper and Lower Kohistan districts, in order to provide relief to the people.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2020