PM CARES Fund Trust allocated Rs 3,100 Crore for fight against COVID-19, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Wednesday, 13 May.
Out of Rs 3,100 crores, a sum of approximately Rs 2000 crore will be earmarked for the purchase of ventilators, Rs 1,000 crores will be used for care of migrant labourers and Rs 100 crores will be given to support vaccine development, the PMO said.
To ramp up the health infrastructure, as much as 50,000 ‘Made in India’ ventilators will be purchased from PM CARES Fund at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore, a statement released by the PMO said.
These ventilators will be provided to government-run COVID hospitals in all states and Union Territories for better treatment of critical COVID-19 cases.
The funds allocated for migrant labourers will be given to different states and UTs to strengthen districts' efforts in providing accommodation facilities, making food arrangements, providing medical treatment and making transportation arrangements for the migrants.
“The fund will be released to the District Collector/District Magistrate/Municipal Commissioner through the State Disaster Relief Commissioner of the States/UTs concerned,” the statement said.
“State/UT-wise funds will be released on the weightage of (a) population of the state/UT as per 2011 Census - 50% weightage (b) Number of positive COVID-19 cases as on date - 40% weightage and (c) equal share (10% weightage) for all states/UTs to ensure basic minimum sum for all states,” the PMO statement said.
PM-CARES was formed on 27 March this year, three days into the lockdown, and is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other ex-officio members of the trust are Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
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