Centre asks states not to take political advantage of COVID-19 financial assistance

No “political mileage” should be taken by any political party, the Union home ministry said in a communication to the states and Union Territories (UTs) including those going to the polls while granting them “one-time special dispensation of funds, for Covid-19 containment”.

Assembly elections to the four states of West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the UT of Puducherry, are set to be held from March 27 and counting of votes is scheduled for May 2.

In a letter issued to these states and UT on March 22, the ministry said the Election Commission of India has approved such expenditure. “All relevant provisions of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) shall be strictly adhered to by the governments of poll bound states and UT and there shall be no mention in this regard by anyone to attain political mileage anyhow,” it said.


The ministry also allowed use of up to 10 per cent of State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) as on April 1, 2020, for Covid-19 containment measures during 2020-21. “This is in addition to the utilization of 50 per cent of the SDRF allocation allowed during the year 2020-21,” it said.

States have been allocated Rs 20,000 crore as financial assistance under the SDRF, out of which Rs 9,352.50 crore in the second tranche while Rs 11,000 crore was allocated during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic last year.

Officials said due to the rise in the number of cases, the Centre has allowed states to utilise the SDRF to test, track and treat Covid-19 infections. These funds, as per the ministry, can be utilised for quarantine, sample collection and screening facilities. The government recently issued new guidelines, to be effective from April 1, urging the state and UT authorities to focus on testing, tracking and treating Covid-19 cases.

States and UTs have been advised to speed up vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic. The latest allocation of SDRF, officials said, will cover the cost of consumables for sample collection, screening and contact tracing, and procurement of essential equipment and laboratories for response to Covid-19.

According to the ministry, the SDRF cap was raised last year to 50 per cent from the earlier ceiling of 35 per cent. State executive committees, headed by chief secretaries, have been directed to ensure oversight to avoid duplication of expenses in the name of Covid-19, said officials.