PATNA: Former deputy chief minister and MP Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday said that both the central and state governments will have to bear a huge financial burden to counter the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the assessment done by SBI Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh, curfew, partial lockdown and ban on movements will cause Bihar in particular a loss of about Rs 6222 crores. Modi also said that vaccinating 5.47 crore people in 18-44 years of age in Bihar will incur an estimated Rs 4,500 crore, including the cost of free vaccination and other maintenance involved.
Modi said that according to the assessment of the Chief Economic Advisor of SBI, Maharashtra will incur an economic loss of Rs 82000 crores, Madhya Pradesh Rs 2100 and Rajasthan Rs17,237 crores with various restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the infection.
Modi, quoting Ghosh's report, said that between April 1 and April 12, 3.23 lakh labourers returned to Bihar and UP. He predicted that the second phase of Covid will have a serious impact on economic activity.