More than ₹730 crore spent by Assam govt on COVID management

September 1: The government is on the receiving end by the opposition as regards fund management for dealing with COVID-19 pandemic. Even social media is replete with posts related to expenditure concerning combating coronavirus in Assam. During the ongoing Assembly session, in a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, it has spent more than Rs 730 crore for various expenses related to management of COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Out of the total Rs 730.72 crore spent, Rs 579.9 crore was released by the state health and family welfare department and National Health Mission (NHM), while the remaining Rs 150.81 crore was spent by the revenue and disaster management department.

Giving details of the expenditure of Rs 579.9 crore, the minister clarified that this figure reflects partial spending which has been compiled as of now. He, however, added that the actual expenses and expenses to be incurred in the coming months can be finalised only after final audited statement is available. About assistance from the Centre, the Minister said the state’s health and family welfare department and the National Health Mission have received a total of Rs 196.82 crore from the union government under three different heads.

The Finance Minister also informed the House that a total of Rs 116.1 crore has been received as contributions from 53,534 people in the account of the Asom Arogya Nidhi till August 15 to support the government’s efforts in management of the pandemic. The minister also said that donations were received in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, but as the amounts for different calamities are not recorded separately, so it is not possible to tell the exact amount of contributions for COVID- 19.

While elaborating the expenditure incurred, Biswa Sarma informed that the government has spent Rs 199.72 crore on infrastructure, Rs 3.86 crore was provided to medical colleges, Rs 52.95 crore for testing, Rs 75.82 crore for medicines, Rs 37.69 crore for medical equipment, Rs 42.89 crore on transportation and Rs 3.41 crore on awareness campaigns. Besides, the health and family welfare department and the National Health Mission also released Rs 1.07 crore for additional manpower, Rs 1.6 crore for administrative expenses and Rs 160.88 crore for financial assistance to those stranded outside the state, he added. Apart from this, the revenue and disaster management department has released Rs 150.81 crore so far as immediate assistance for repairing the quarantine centres. This was informed by the minister in a written reply to another query by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed.