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PM-CARES First Year Collection Over Rs 10,000 Cr, Spent Only 36%: Report
Writer: Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
India, 8 Feb 2022 9:10 AM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
The maximum amount was spent on procuring 66 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, nearly ₹1,392 crores (35 per cent). The second highest was spent buying domestically manufactured ventilators amid the pandemic chaos.
Established in March 2020, the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) collected ₹10,990 crores in the first year and spent one-third of the total money.
According to the Hindustan Times report, the figures were revealed in an audited statement on Monday, February 7.
36% Of Total Money Spent
Around ₹ 3,976 crores were utilised for relief and capacity-building measures in the first year of operation, 36.17 percent of the total funds. As of March 31, 2021, the Fund had an unspent balance of ₹7,044 crores.
Utilisation Of Funds
A steep rise in demand was observed for specific medical equipment after the COVID hit the country, including oxygen cylinders, ventilators, the establishment of RT-PCR labs, etc., followed by the vaccine shots.
The maximum amount was spent on procuring 66 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, nearly ₹1,392 crores (35 percent). The second highest was spent buying domestically manufactured ventilators, amid the pandemic chaos. A total of ₹1,311 crores (33 percent) was spent on buying 50,000 ventilators.
According to the report, another ₹201 crores was spent to install 162 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants inside public health facilities in various states and UTs.
Around ₹50 crores were used on setting up 16 RT-PCR testing labs in nine states and UTs, along with two 500-bed makeshift COVID-19 hospitals in Muzzafarpur and Patna, HT added.
Money Spent On Vaccine Testing, Distribution To States & UTs
Nearly ₹20 crores were given to two independent institute laboratories under the department of biotechnology for upgrading them as central drug laboratories (CDLs) testing COVID-19 vaccine batches.
Nearly ₹1,000 crores were distributed among states and Union Territories (UTs) for the welfare of migrants.
Fund Balance By 2020-End
The Fund's balance by the end of 2020 was ₹3,077 crores; however, it received another ₹7,679 crores in donations by March 2021, apart from the interest of ₹235 crores earned initially.
Petitions Seeking Funds Utilisation
The PM-CARES Fund was established with a motive to have a dedicated trust with the primary objective of dealing with any emergency or distress situation, primarily COVID-19.
Several petitions were filed seeking the legal status of trust and the money utilised. Several pleas demanded the trust to be brought under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. But the union government and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the trust was not a public authority, nor can it be listed as a body of the State.
The matter remains pending before the court.
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