Chennai Corporation gets Rs 21.5 cr from SDRF to bolster virus fight

The major chunk of the fund was allotted to Chennai Corporation and for purchasing COVID-19 drugs. “Government sanctions Rs 10 crore under SDRF to Greater Chennai Corporation towards COVID-19 containment measures and Rs 9.08 crore to Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine towards the purchase of coronavirus care drug kits,” said Revenue Secretary Atulya Misra, in the GO. Earlier, Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA) J Radhakrishnan, who is also the nodal officer for Greater Chennai Corporation, had urged state government to allot Rs 360.76 crore for COVID-19 works.

Similarly, Tiruvallur Collector sought Rs 10.58 crore, which includes providing shelter and food for migrant labourers and Director of Medical and Rural Health Services (ESI) requested state to allot Rs 2.25 crore for formation of COVID care centre at ESI hospital in Ayanavaram. Despite the requests, CRA had recommended only Rs 2 crore for Tiruvallur district and only Rs 35 lakh to ESI hospital in Ayanavaram.