Centre released Rs.1,504 cr to Telangana towards Covid-19

The Union government extended financial assistance of total Rs 1,504.57 crore to Telangana State towards Covid-19 related challenges and also towards special assistance to States for capital expenditure during 2020-21 financial year. The Union Ministry of Finance responded to a question raised by Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao in the House on Tuesday.

Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur informed the Upper House that the Central government had announced India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (ANB) package to various States during the financial year.

Accordingly, the Centre released Rs 353.13 crore to Telangana State under India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package and another Rs 523.44 crore under National Health Mission. Similarly, Rs 449 crore was released under Disaster Management (State



Disaster Response Force). Another Rs 358 crore was sanctioned under Special Assistance to the States for Capital Expenditure programme of which Rs 179 crore has been released so far.

In response to another question raised by Narasimha Rao, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said public health was a State subject and the primary responsibility of strengthening health systems including hospitals lies with the respective State governments. 

According to the data furnished by him, the State government had improved public health infrastructure in Telangana between April 2020 and January 2021 significantly in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. The number of oxygen supported beds, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and ventilators available in the State in April 2020 were 181, 1,977 and 482 respectively. In January 2021, there were 6,031 oxygen supported beds, 1,589 ICU beds and 1,991 ventilators.