The Centre has allotted Rs 1,352.92 crore to the northeastern states to further bolster Covid-19 management in the region which bore the brunt of the now-tapering second wave of the pandemic.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who was in Guwahati on Tuesday to review the pandemic management of the northeastern states with health ministers and senior health officials, announced the financial package to aggressively strengthen the health infrastructure to effectively fight Covid-19.
Assam got more than 50 per cent of the allotted amount.
Mandaviya later tweeted the break-up of the funds allotted to each state with Assam, which has double the population of the other seven states combined, getting the highest Rs 812.46 crore and Sikkim the lowest Rs 21.85 crore. Arunachal Pradesh received Rs 141.94 crore, Nagaland Rs 62.46 crore, Meghalaya 91.94 crore, Tripura Rs 93.02 crore, Manipur Rs 85.95 crore and Mizoram Rs 44.3 crore.
Those privy to the meeting said Mandaviya urged the states to meet their vaccination targets and move forward together to tackle the pandemic while assuring all possible help from the central government.
He also suggested that infrastructure created for Covid management should be such that it could be used for treatment of non-Covid patients in the future.
“The funds will help the states to procure medicines, create buffer stock, adequate stock of oxygen and creation of sufficient numbers of beds in hospitals at district and local levels, including ICUs. The Centre will ensure regular supply of vaccines to the Northeast so that the maximum number of people are vaccinated within the next few months,” Mandaviya told the media after the meeting.
All the states made PowerPoint presentations on the Covid-19 situation, offered their suggestions on combating the pandemic and meeting vaccination targets at the shortest possible time and tackling a possible third wave.
The Union minister was “hopeful” that the state governments are fully prepared and are equipped to thwart a possible third wave in the region.
Mizoram and Manipur, which have suffered the most during the second wave, figured during the “in-depth discussions”.
The health ministers of Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram and Nagaland were present at the review meeting along with the education minister of Tripura, adviser to the Manipur chief minister and senior officials of the health ministry.
The day also saw Assam ease a few travel restrictions and reduce night curfew from 11 to 10 hours as Covid-19 cases continued to dip.
Night curfew across Assam will be in force from 7pm to 5am, while inter-district travel has been allowed for private vehicles, except in Kamrup (metro). Gathering of 200 people has been allowed at public functions in open areas while 25 people can now attend weddings and funerals.
An Assam government order said all incoming passengers, who have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccines and possess a vaccination certificate, on production of the document in front of the screening authority, shall be exempted from mandatory testing on arrival at airports, railway stations, road border points, etc, provided they also possess a negative Covid test report of samples taken within 72 hours.
Symptomatic passengers, however, will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR testing at their own cost on arrival at airports and railway stations.
