The Maharashtra Government has disbursed Rs 141.64 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to the divisional commissioners of Konkan, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad for the implementation of corona containment measures in their respective divisions amid rising cases during the second COVID 19 wave. Of the Rs 141.64 crore, the government has disbursed Rs 73.19 crore to the Konak division comprising Rs 11.04 crore to Sent George Hospital, Rs 7.04 crore to Poddar Hospital, Rs 2.83 crore to JJ Hospital, Rs 1.57 crore to the Mumbai city, Rs 18.22 crore to Thane rural, Rs 22.48 crore to Palghar district and Rs 10.01 crore to Ratnagiri district.
The state government has released Rs 55.73 crore to the Pune divisional commissioner comprising Rs 38.94 crore to Kolhapur district and Rs 16.78 crore to Pune district which are corona hotspots.
The government has disbursed Rs 2.45 crore to the Nashik divisional commissioner comprising Rs 1.41 crore to Nandurbar district and Rs 1.04 crore to Jalgaon district. The Nandurbar district is hogging the limelight after the collector Dr Rajendra Bharud took the steps with regard to the sufficient availability of oxygen and appointment of oxygen nurses considering the second wave of corona.
The government has released Rs 10.25 crore to the Aurangabad division commissioner comprising Rs 4.66 crore to Hingoli district, Rs 2.82 crore to Aurangabad district and Rs 2.76 crore to Jalna district which is the home district of the Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope.
The administration will have to spend funds to support checking screening and contact tracing, procurement of essential equipment’s/labs for response to COVID-19 and towards the cost of setting up additional testing laboratories within the Government and the cost of consumable and testing kit.
The administration should spend funds on the cost of personal protection equipment for healthcare, municipal, police and fire authorities and also of Thermal Scanners, Ventilators, Air Purifiers, Oxygen generation and storage plant in hospitals, strengthening ambulance services for transport of patients, setting up containment zones, Covid-19 hospital, Covid-19 care centers and consumables in the Government hospitals.
The revenue department of desk officer Uday Gavas in the notification issued on May 5 has categorically said that the administration will have to take proper care with regard to taking administrative and technical approvals and adhering to tendering norms.
