PM-CARES Fund to foot over 80% cost of 1st phase of COVID vaccination drive


PTI, Feb 2, 2021, 7:07 PM IST

New Delhi: The PM-CARES fund, which has been set up to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, has contributed over Rs 2,200 crore for the first phase of vaccination drive, which is looking to inoculate frontline healthcare workers, the Expenditure Secretary said on Tuesday.

Set up in March 2020, the exact collections made by the fund through voluntary contribution by individuals and corporates, are not known but the corpus managed by the PMO has been providing relief to pandemic-hit sectors.

With the Budget for the current fiscal, which was presented before the onset of the pandemic, making no separate allocation for vaccination, more than 82 per cent of the cost of the same during January to March is being borne by the PM CARES Fund.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget for the next fiscal beginning April 2021 has set aside Rs 35,000 crore towards COVID vaccination.

In an interview, Expenditure Secretary TV Somanathan said the cost of vaccination of frontline and healthcare workers in the current fiscal is being borne fully by the central government and the money is coming from PM CARES fund and Health Ministry.

”For January-March the (vaccination) cost is expected to be about Rs 2,700 crore approximately. Part of it is coming from the Health Ministry and some part of it is funded from the PM CARES fund. This is for the first round of 3 crore frontline and health workers,” he said.

The entire cost of this round will be borne by the Central government, he said.

”We had provided extra funds to the Health Ministry for incidental costs to vaccination. We made an additional allocation of Rs 480 crore just for the 3 crore batch of vaccination,” he said.

The remaining about Rs 2,220 crore will come from PM-CARES fund.

”Yes, that is my information,” he said when asked if the remainder of the Rs 2,700 crore cost of the vaccination drive, after accounting for Rs 480 crore from the health ministry, will come from the PM CARES Fund.

Opposition and rights activists have criticised the secrecy behind the PM-CARES Fund. This is because information on donations made and expenditure has not been shared citing the fund not being a ”public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

The Prime Minister Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES) was set up in March last year where people can contribute to help the government fight against coronavirus and similar ”distressing situations.”

The trust is headed by the Prime Minister. The other ex-officio members of the trust are the defence minister, the home minister and the finance minister.

India in January approved two vaccines, Oxford’s Covishield manufactured by SII in the country and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, for restricted emergency use.

The country launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world’s largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers, and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.

The Budget on Monday proposed a budget outlay of over Rs 2.23 lakh crore for health and well being in 2021-2022, an increase of 137 per cent from the previous year.

Sitharaman in her Budget speech had said that India has two vaccines available, and has begun medically safeguarding not only her own citizens against COVID-19 but also those of 100 or more countries.

”It is added comfort to know that two or more vaccines are also expected soon,” she said.

Somanathan said the recommendations of the Finance Commission in the area of health relating to local body grants have been accepted in full.

”Whatever the Commission has recommended in the area of local body grants for health, water and sanitation are being accepted in full and will be implemented. We have also made the necessary budget provisions for those grants,” he added.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

IPL Auction 2025 | GT buy Washington Sundar for Rs 3.20 crore; Shaw, Shardul go unsold

Virat Kohli doesn’t need our support, but we need the support of Kohli: Bumrah

INDIA bloc seeking JPC probe into Adani ‘scam’, govt scared of debate: Congress after LS, RS adjourned

Burglars decamp with cash Rs 1 crore, 300 gold sovereigns from house in Kerala

Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls

Perth Test: Bumrah leads India to its biggest Test win on Australian soil

Sambhal violence: FIR against SP MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, SP MLA’s son

Related Articles More

IT employee, lover arrested in murder of Kochi woman

ED conducts raids in Delhi-NCR in real estate ‘fraud’ linked money-laundering case

Delhi Police arrests man for stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 1 crore

INDIA bloc seeking JPC probe into Adani ‘scam’, govt scared of debate: Congress after LS, RS adjourned

Youth Congress demands Adani’s arrest over USD 250 mn bribery charge

MUST WATCH

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar


Latest Additions

Sensex reclaims 80k mark; Nifty surges over 1% after BJP-led Mahayuti’s win in Maharashtra

IT employee, lover arrested in murder of Kochi woman

IPL Auction 2025 | GT buy Washington Sundar for Rs 3.20 crore; Shaw, Shardul go unsold

ED conducts raids in Delhi-NCR in real estate ‘fraud’ linked money-laundering case

ED conducts raids in Delhi-NCR in real estate ‘fraud’ linked money-laundering case

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.