Rs 429-cr SDRF money available for COVID-19: Ministry of Home Affairs

In order to keep COVID-19 pandemic at bay, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Rs 429-cr SDRF money available for COVID-19: Ministry of Home Affairs

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: In order to keep COVID-19 pandemic at bay, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed the State government to spend 50 per cent of the total the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) meant for fiscal 2020-21. With such a nod from the Centre, the State government now can spend Rs 429 from of its SDRF allocation.

The MHA has made it clear in a missive sent to the State government on September 23, 2020.

The total SDRF allocation for Assam for fiscal 2020-21 is Rs 858 crore, and the funding pattern between the Centre and the State government is 90:10 (90 per cent by the Centre and 10 per cent matching money by the State government). The Central government has already released the first instalment of its SDRF share to the State government. The SDRF is under the custody of the State's Revenue and Disaster Management department.

The letter from the MHA has spelt it out in clear terms that in the event of the State government spending more than 50 per cent its SDRF allocation for fiscal 2020-21, Dispur will have to bear the excess expenditure from its own resources.

The letter from the MHA has also spelt out that the SDRF money can be spent as the cost of thermal scanner; ventilators; oxygen generation; oxygen storage plants in hospitals; strengthening ambulance service for transportation of COVID patients; setting up of COVID-19 hospitals and COVID care centres; cost of PPE (personal protection equipment) kit for healthcare, municipal, police and fire authorities; cost of setting up additional testing laboratories etc.

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