Development of A'bad likely to be on hold once again owing to Covid-19!

Aurangabad, Feb 25:

It is feared that the development works in the district are likely to be hampered as the District Planning Committee (DPC) may reduce granting of fund due to rise in Covid-19 cases in the district.

Earlier, the necessary measures to tackle the pandemic in connection with Covid-19 till March 31, 2020 and thereafter were taken through the DPC funds. Hence if there emerged a need to take preventive measures regarding Covid-19 till March 31, 2021 and thereafter then there is a possibility of utilising the DPC fund once again. It may be noted that the state government had completed the process of granting 100 per cent DPC fund in December 2020. This year, the expense to take Covid-19 measures had started in February. Hence it cannot be denied that the development works of the region, including Aurangabad district, may remain aside.

Last year, the DPC fund was granted to Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and others to provide other health services in their respective jurisdictions. Before March 31, 2020, the DPC had released a fund of Rs 14.43 crore to various health administration to fight against Covid-19. Of which Rs 12 crore was given to the AMC. Later on, the AMC again got huge fund on the orders of the state and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to contain the Covid-19 situation.

Out of the total DPC fund of Rs 325 crore, around 25 per cent (Rs 75 crore) was spent on planning measures to fight against Covid-19. Of the Rs 75 crore, the AMC has granted Rs 19 crore at one time, apart from the SDRF and state order.

In the past three days, the acting district collector Anant Gavhane had transferred the fund of Rs 19 crore to AMC from DPC and SDRF. However, the AMC had not yet submitted its plan highlighting the measures it would be taking through the fund. The fund of Rs 19 crore had been given to AMC, said the collector.

Rs 140 cr for the region in December

It is learnt that a sum of Rs 140 crore was granted in December 2020 to take appropriate Covid-19 measures in all eight districts of the Marathwada. A fund of Rs 94 crore was granted to Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad and Latur districts, and in another phase, Rs 46 crore was given to Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts. Now, the expense would be made again on quarantine, testings as the Covid-19 patients are on the rise everywhere in the region.