Contribution to anti-COVID-19 fund growing steadily

Kathmandu, Apr 4

The fund created for the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 has received a total of Rs 1.18 billion till Friday afternoon.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the fund received Rs 96.9 million on Friday with Rs 50 million from Rastriya Beema Samiti (Insurance Board), Rs 16.5 million from Rastriya Beema Company and Rs 10 million from Rastriya Beema Sansthan.

Likewise, Rs 5.1 million was provided by MBNL.

Staff of the PMO collected Rs 1.7 million for the fund while National Cooperative Bank and Melamchi Municipality deposited Rs 1.1 million and Rs 1 million respectively.

Ramechhap District Hospital and Rose Bahini Sanitary deposited Rs 101,979 and Rs 100,000.

About Rs 11.3 million was collected from various organisations and individuals who deposited less than Rs. 100,000.

The fund account had Rs 1.09 billion till Thursday.

A couple of days ago, 22 commercial banks had pledged to support Rs 254 million to the central and provincial funds created by the governments for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus.

The fund has received support with a large amount from the government agencies such as Nepal Oil Corporation which deposited Rs 500 million and Securities Board of Nepal Rs 10 million.

One-door in relief distribution

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has directed to apply one-door system in relief distribution.

Issuing a directive on Friday, the ministry barred the organisations and individuals from distribution of relief materials and other support on their own.

All the relief materials to be distributed form various individuals, organisations and government as well as non-government agencies should be collected at the respective local levels and distributed in an integrated manner.

"The government has started distributing the relief materials to the workers of the unorganised and informal sector, poor and deprived people through the local levels," said the ministry.

It has also directed the local levels to send the report of daily relief distribution to the ministry.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 5 April 2020.