MUMBAI: Besides budgetary provision of medical education and public health departments, cash-strapped state government will have to mobilize at least Rs12,000 crore to tackle Covid-19 this year.
Relief and rehabilitation secretary Assem Gupta told TOI the state will require huge funds to tackle the virus. “Besides budgetary provision of medical education and public health departments, we will require Rs12,000 crore to enhance healthcare infrastructure and medicines. Last year, we used nearly Rs6,000 crore to tackle the pandemic,’’ Gupta said.
Gupta said it had been proposed to provide Rs2,100 crore from State Disaster Relief Fund, Rs236 crore from CM’s relief fund, a substantial amount from corporate social responsibility fund and Rs3,300 crore from district planning & development fund. “We are sure we can tackle the pandemic in the best possible manner. Our healthcare infrastructure has already been upgraded,’’ he said.
A senior finance department official said after an announcement by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, it is expected that Rs366 crore will come from MLA local area development funds. “Pawar proposed that each legislator should contribute Rs 1 crore from the fund. It will be used exclusively in his/her constituency to enhance healthcare infrastructure,’’ he said.
The official said CM has declared a Rs5,476 crore package for eight crore people, particularly those below poverty line. “The package will give huge relief to a major section of society. In view of fresh demand, scope of the package may be widened to include more sections of society,’’ he said.