Odisha govt sanctions Rs 225 cr to deal with Coronavirus

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday sanctioned Rs 225 crore from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to deal with COVID-19, informed Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena.

Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, who chaired a special meeting of the State Executive Committee, accorded approval for sanction of the amount.

The fund will be utilised for measures for quarantine, sample collection and screening.

The fund will also be used for provision for temporary accommodation, food and medical care for people sheltered in quarantine camps, cluster containment operations.

The government will also use the fund for other emergency measures such as setting up of additional testing labs and procurement of essential equipment, personal protective gears, etc.