Minister of Home Affairs on Friday approved the release of ₹11,092 crores under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund to all the States for containment of pandemic.
New Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with the chief ministers on April 2 to tackle COVID-19 epidemic, the Centre has approved for the release – in advance – of Rs 1,611 crore to Maharashtra under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) to fight the disease as it has reported the highest number of such cases so far.
The funds were allocated to the States on the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission.
According to a news report in The Hindu, however, Kerala, which has registered one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases across the country, has been allocated only Rs 157 crore – much less than most states.
Under the release, Maharashtra which has reported the highest number of cases has been allocated ₹1611 crore. Kerala with the second-highest number of cases, however, been allocated ₹157 crores, lower than most States including Uttar Pradesh which gets ₹966 crore, Odisha ₹802 crore, Rajasthan ₹740 crore, Bihar ₹708 crore, Gujarat ₹662 crore and Madhya Pradesh ₹910 crores.
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot suggested to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday that the Centre release ₹1 lakh crore to tackle the pandemic and the ramifications of the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
In an order issued on March 14, the MHA said that it has decided to treat COVID-19 as a “notified disaster” for the purpose of providing assistance under the SDRF. The SDRF has an allocation of around Rs 29,000 crore in fiscal year 2020-21.
This comes at a time when several states have asked the central government to clear their pending dues, for them to provide relief to poor and migrant workers who have been impacted the most after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day national lockdown.
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