Mines Ministry gives the nod to draw up to Rs 52 cr to check pandemic spread
the goan I network
PANAJI
Strapped for funds and further handicapped by the poor cash flow into the exchequer during the lockdown, the State government will dig into the District Mineral Fund corpus to defray expenses of the measures to tackle the COVID-19 threat.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Union Mines Ministry has given the State its nod to draw up to Rs 52 crores and use the funds for its fight against the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said, the funds will be used for all the measures the State is taking in the fight against COVID-19, including in the hospitals and the quarantine centres.
Meanwhile, nearly 20,000 migrant labourers who have taken refuge in 10 camps set up by the government are being provided food and rations free of cost, Sawant said.
“Some NGOs are helping us in the task but the government is bearing most of the cost,” Sawant said, adding that between 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh migrant labourers are stranded in Goa without work during the lockdown.
“Many of them want to go back to their home State but that is forbidden. Some who are in these camps also want to go back to their rented rooms but we will allow them only if local police ascertain they can follow there social distancing and other do’s and don’ts,” Sawant said.
The District Mineral Fund Corpus is administered by a committee headed by the Collector and comprising top bureaucrats and some local representatives.
It gets contributions from the central mines ministry from statutory cesses charged to mining companies and is usually meant to be spent in mining affected areas for social development projects.
