VIJAYAWADA: The Union government has so far released Rs 4,914.17 crore to Andhra Pradesh towards revenue deficit grant for 2020-21 out of the Rs 5,897 crore allocated as per the recommendation of the 15th finance commission, according to Union minister of state for finance Anurag Singh Thakur.
The Centre has also extended a financial assistance of Rs 324.27 crore towards emergency response and healthcare preparedness package, and Rs 998.91 crore under the National Health Mission (NHM) to help the state in fighting Covid-19.
To a query raised by BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the Union minister divulged the details of the funds sanctioned and released for AP. He said that Rs 1,119 crore sanctioned for disaster management was completely released.
Under special projects, Rs 2,234.2 crore was released in this fiscal for Polavaram Irrigation Project, and another Rs 344 crore out of the sanctioned Rs 688 crore has been disbursed as special assistance for capital expenditure, the minister’s statement noted.
He added that 9.95 lakh metric tons of food grains were given under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana between April and November last year benefitting 2.61 crore from the state. Similarly, 66,492 MTs of pulses was given to 90.28 lakh beneficiaries.
Seven MTs of food grains were distributed to 1,360 beneficiaries under food grains to migrants under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the statement observed.
About 46.95 lakh beneficiaries from AP were covered under PM Kisan programme, it added. The union minister also divulged the number beneficiaries and the money incurred for various central schemes implemented in the state in 2020-21 so far.
To another question by Rajya Sabha MP from BJP YS Chowdary (Sujana Chowdary) on the status of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said unavailability of sand initially posed a problem for the construction of the national institute.
“Initially, there was some delay due to non-availability of sand for construction work... . Covid-19 pandemic also affected the progress of work,” he said and added the progress was being regularly reviewed.
‘47L from AP benefitted from Kisan programme’
About 46.95 lakh beneficiaries from AP were covered under PM Kisan programme, according to Centre. Seven metric tons of food grains were distributed to 1,360 beneficiaries under food grains to migrants under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan