Katmandu: The COVID-19 Fund Committee has so far mobilised Rs 840 million from the COVID-19 Fund collected from different individuals, firms and government agencies to check the spread of the coronavirus contagion.

The committee led by Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission Pushpa Raj Kandel today decided to make available Rs 460 million to provincial and local governments and government entities from the COVID-19 Fund which has swelled to Rs 2.35 billion.

The committee also decided to make available Rs 40 million to Rs 70 million to the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of the seven provinces to be used primarily to develop health infrastructure to combat the spread of coronavirus and treat patients.

While OCMCM of provinces 1 and 2 have been give Rs 40 million and Rs 70 million, respectively, OCMCM of Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Province 5 have been provided Rs 40 million, Rs 40 million and Rs 70 million, respectively.

OCMCM of Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces have been given Rs 60 million each.
 
The committee has also decided to hand over Rs 72 million to 40 local governments across the country to develop and standardise quarantine facilities. It has also decided to give Rs 8.8 million to the Ministry of Health and Population and Rs 92.6 million to the Nepali Army.

“We have been mobilising resources from the fund for the last two weeks and have mobilised more than Rs 840 million till today.

“We’ll fund those governments and private agencies that don’t have adequate resources to fight the spread of the COV- ID-19 pandemic,” said Rajendra Kumar Poudyal, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

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