The funds released may help in strengthening the fight against COVID-19

Maharashtra Government, on Thursday, released a chunk of District Planning Committee (DPC) funds for 35 districts and Mumbai to be utilised for various measures relating to COVID-19 pandemic. Of a total Rs 2,761.9482 crore released for various districts of Maharashtra, 11 districts of Vidarbha have got Rs 942.8396 crore. Planning Department has approved budgetary allocation of Rs 11,035 crore under District Annual Plan (General) for the current financial year year 2021-22. Of this amount, the department released Rs 1,103.50 crore as 10 per cent of the budgetary allocation, on April 19. The Government has kept funds under certain heads of District Annual Plan (General) with DPC, for COVID-19 related works. On Thursday, the Government released 100 per cent funds under these heads.

For the State as a whole, comprising 35 districts and Mumbai, total Rs 2,761.94821 crore has been released of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 8,780.2186 crore. For these 11 districts, total budgetary allocation for the year 2021-22 under District Annual Plan (General) is Rs 2,284.8252 crore. Of this, the Government has released Rs 942.8396 crore. The funds released for Vidarbha region include Rs 528.6824 crore for Nagpur Division and Rs 414.1572 crore for Amravati Division. The funds have been released under two heads -- Revenue expenditure and Capital expenditure.

Nagpur, the Second Capital of Maharashtra, has budgetary allocation of Rs 384.9814 crore. As against it, the district has got Rs 165.0960 crore released to it for COVID-19 related works. It is the highest in Vidarbha. Nagpur district is followed by Yavatmal with budgetary allocation of Rs 278.1324 crore, and funds released being Rs 115.9740 crore; and Buldhana with budgetary allocation of Rs 206.6456 crore and funds released being Rs 109.7388 crore.

The funds so released are to be used for special measures taken by State Government to tackle COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthening of district-level health infrastructure under Public Health Department as well as Medical Education and Drugs Department.

Planning Department has granted approval to spending up to 30 per cent of total DPC funds for these measures and strengthening of health infrastructure.

The funds so allocated can be spent only on spill-over expenses of ongoing works. District Collector, who is Member Secretary of DPC, has been designated as Controlling Officer to oversee utilisation of funds for COVID-19.