THE government launched the Ehsaas emergency cash programme in the wake of poor economic conditions that were made worse by the Covid pandemic.

Under this programme, having a total budget of Rs144 billion, 12 million families of extremely poor women were to be delivered Rs12,000 each after every four months.

In this connection, Ehsaas emergency cash centres were established across the country. But, unfortunately, when the poor women reach these centres set up in Sindh, they generally face a horrible ordeal.

They are not allowed to enter the centre unless they give Rs1,000 to Rs2,000 in bribe to the agents working there and the police. This is to get their own Rs12,000.

Besides, more painful is the way the administration handles the heavy rush of poor women at these centres. These poverty-stricken, old women are treated so inhumanly that once an old woman at one of the centres in Umerkot had her two fingers cut off when the door was slammed shut to prevent her from entering the centre, probably after she refused to ‘cooperate’ with the administration.

The Ehsaas emergency cash centres in Sindh have, in fact, become ‘corruption centres’ where poor women are being exploited by officials with impunity. Instead of facilitating these old and poor women, the officials use them as a source of ‘income’.

The authorities concerned should take notice of such activities and take appropriate action to protect the most vulnerable section of society.

Riaz Ahmed Soomro
Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2021