PM-CARES Fund to foot over 80% cost of first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive For the months of January to March, the vaccination drive is expected to cost about Rs 2,700 crore, Expenditure Secretary TV Somanathan said A medical worker inoculates a doctor with a Covid-19 vaccine in Ahmedabad. AFP
New Delhi: The PM-CARES fund, which has been set up to provide relief during the coronavirus 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.
Published: Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 23:52 [IST]
New Delhi, Feb 02: The PM-CARES fund, which has been set up to provide relief during the coronavirus 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.
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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.
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Budget 2021: Sitharaman announces Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday in her Union Budget 2021 speech announced that the government will provide Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22 fiscal. I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine in this year 2021-22. I m committed to provide further funds if required. The Budget outlay for health and well being is Rs 2.23 lakh crore in 2021-22 as against BE of Rs 94,452 crore and marks an increase of 137 per cent, she said while presenting 2021-22 Budget in the Lok Sabha.
India had earlier in January approved two vaccines Oxford s Covishield manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech s Covaxin for restricted emergency use.