CM seeks PM's intervention to use SDRF for relief to COVID-19

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use the State Disaster Respond Fund (SDRF) for providing relief to Covid-19 patients.

The union ministry of Home affairs had on March 14 issued an order permitting the utilisation of SDRF for "responding appropriately to Covid-19", but later made some modifications to it.

As per the initial order the fund could have been used to provide compensation in case of any death related to Covid-19 as well as utilisation of the fund for treatment of patients.

While terming the order as a "welcome step", the Chief Minister pointed out that a "partial modification" of the order the same day that took away the beneficial provisions.

"...the ministry has deleted the beneficial provisions. By deleting these clauses,the spirit behind relief/ assistance intended by the State Disaster Response Fund is defeated," Vijayan said in a letter sent on Saturday night.

The order would have equipped the state government to give Rs four lakh in case of any Covid-19 deaths and also provided permission to use the SDRF for the treatment of Covid-19 positive cases.

Vijayan urged the Prime Minister to restore the beneficial clauses.

"The deleted two clauses being those that directly benefited and provided relief to the Covid-19 affected families need to be restored. I request you to reconsider the partial modification and restore the earlier one in its entirety," Vijayan said.

Kerala has been hit by the second round of Covid 19 cases after the country's first three positive cases in the state were successfully cured and discharged from hospitals last month.

The government had earlier itself shut schools. colleges and cancelled all the public functions in the state to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.