Combating COVID-19: Gehlot seeks Rs 1 lakh cr financial assistance for States from PM Modi

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh crore for the states in the wake of the ongoing lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.

"The Central government should direct the Reserve Bank of India to provide Rs 1 lakh crore to States as an interest-free ways and means advance. This should be done for 11 months from April 1, 2020," Gehlot writes in the letter.

He has also stated that the Centre should take new loans at its own level and should provide an advance loan to the States, as the economies of States have been adversely affected due to lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

"The Centre and the States have to jointly fight this pandemic. The first instalment of the grant should be given to the States based on per person population. Later the grant amount can be given more to the States where the infection is high and proportionally to the remaining States," the letter adds.

Chief Minister Gehlot has also written to the CMs of various States citing his letter sent to the PM and requested them to take up these issues with the Central government at their level.

Four new positive cases of coronavirus including two staffers from Bangar Hospital at Bhilwara were reported in the state on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus.

He has also announced an emergency financial package of Rs 15,000 crore for healthcare -- strengthening of personal protection equipment for medical professionals, increasing isolation wards and ICU beds, and for the training of medical and paramedical manpower.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a relief package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore for the poor and migrant workers to deal with the lockdown that has been enforced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.