COVID-19 Fight – INR 3,100 crores allocated from PM Cares Fund
Last updated on February 13th, 2023 at 04:30 pm
The Prime Minister Office (PMO) said on Wednesday that the PM Cares Fund has decided to allocate INR 3,100 crores to India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the other things the amount is said to be used to purchase ventilators and care of migrant workers, PMO clarified.
Out of the amount allocated by PM Cares Fund, INR 2000 crores is being earmarked for purchasing of “Made in India” ventilators. Furthermore, INR 1000 crores has been decided to be utilized for caring of migrant workers.
The remaining INR 100 crores will be used for the development of Coronavirus vaccine, a statement by PMO said.
PM’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Funds (PM-CARES) was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the start of COVID-19 pandemic hitting India. This fund was created to let people donate whatever they wanted to, to help the government fight against coronavirus and any similar emergency or distressing situation.
This fund which was created on March 27 is headed by the prime minister along with other ex-officio members of trust being the defence minister, finance minister and home minister.
In a statement released by the PMO on Wednesday, INR 2000 crores from the fund will be used for purchasing approximately 50,000 “Made in India” ventilators. This is to augment the infrastructure required to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
The statement elaborated that these ventilators will be provided to the government run COVID-19 hospitals in all the states and union territories for better care of COVID-19 patients.
To help the government procure ventilators many institutions of defence establishments and higher learning have pitched in to manufacture low cost ventilators.
States and union territories will be provided with a lump sum of INR 1000 crores to be used for strengthening of existing measures being taken for migrant workers welfare, the statement said.
The PMO clarified that the amount will be distributed within states and UTs based on the weightage of population as per the 2011 census (50% weightage). Next criteria is the number of positive cases in state till date – 40% weightage. All the states will be given an equal 10% weightage as a basic minimum.
The fund amount is being decided to be released to district collector/ district magistrate/ municipal commissioner through State Disaster Relief Commissioner.
Read: Bloomberg survey forecast: Indian economy will shrink by 0.4%
The remaining INR 100 crores will be used for vaccine development under supervision of the Principal Scientific Advisor, statement said.
