COVID-19 related projects in northeast to get priority fund sanctions: Jitendra Singh

Coronavirus-related health projects for the northeast will get priority financial sanctions and the DoNER ministry will make sure that funds are made available for each state of the region, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) convened to discuss issues related to social distancing norms.

Each of the eight northeastern states will get priority funding for COVID-19 related projects, the minister said.

Singh said these states have been asked to submit projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic or health infrastructure under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS).

The projects submitted under this scheme will be sanctioned on priority and promptly if they are meant to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and to fight the pandemic, he said.

Singh said some of these states have already started submitting their projects.

Mizoram has sent a proposal worth Rs 25.7 crore for augmenting ICU bed capacity and related infrastructure, setting up oxygen plants, CT scan machine, protection and sterilisation facility etc, he said.

Similarly, Meghalaya has also sent a proposal for setting up a corona care center in West Garo Hills district at a cost of Rs 10.67 crore, he added.

The Manipur government is also planning to send a proposal for setting up an infectious diseases hospital devoted to COVID-19 and other infections, according to the minister.

Singh expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the northeastern states have, by and large, been able to contain the spread of coronavirus in the region.

These containment measures, he said, could very well be a model for the rest of the country.

Singh appreciated the proactive role of DoNER ministry which provided an immediate relief of 25 crore to these states in the beginning itself and established a control room at the North Eastern Council headquarters in Shillong.

He said he is in regular touch with all the eight chief ministers of the region, state ministers and resident commissioners based in Delhi.