Maharashtra: Dues mount, vendors not ready to up Covid facilities

MUMBAI: “Stretched” for funds, the state has not been able to clear pending vendor bills worth crores of rupees for services rendered during the second wave. Several districts are now concerned about scaling up preparations for the anticipated third wave with the agencies asking for payment first.
Sources said power bills, money for food given to patients, and salaries of additional manpower hired at temporary Covid centres are pending. In some districts, payments for installation of PSA plants for generation of medical oxygen and liquid medical oxygen plants used for storage have not been cleared.
The bills run from several lakhs to multiple crores. State officials did not divulge the total sum they owed to vendors. Sources said even small districts like Satara have bills of over Rs 4 crore pending.
“We are flooded with vendor calls. The money has not been cleared for food that was served to patients. Dues have not been cleared for medicines either,” said an official.
He said if they have to scale up overnight due to a third wave, few would be willing to extend a helping hand again. The civil surgeon of one of the districts said that more than 300-400 healthcare workers, starting from doctors, nurses to ward boys, who were hired during the second wave have not been paid. “They haven’t got salaries for months of July and August,” he said, admitting that his district also had dues pending up to a “few crores”.
A state government official told TOI that there are multiple budgetary heads from which district collectors can clear bills related to Covid-19.
“We have allowed collectors to use funds from the state disaster response fund, district development fund, funds under the National Health Mission. But funds under all these heads are stretched,” the official said.
He said the state has sanctioned Rs 550 crore from the state disaster response fund for Covid-related purchases or services. The fund, which now under Rs 700 crore left in it, will be exhausted towards the Rs 50,000 ex gratia to be paid to the families of Covid-19 victims. The state requires Rs 800 crore to fulfil the scheme.
“Not all districts have used the funds judiciously. However, we cannot start auditing infrastructure set up, or personnel hired as everyone was told to prepare adequately,”said the official.
Dr Shyamsundar Nikam, civil surgeon of Amravati, said his district also had pending dues. “If a third wave is there, vendors cannot refuse us services,” he said.
He said most districts are waiting for money from NHM as district planning and development committee funds can only be used for procurement and not payments.