Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate ₹3,000 crore for procuring personal protective equipment (PPE), N-95 masks and ventilators for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. During his video conference interaction with the PM, Mr. Palaniswami also sought to increase the supply of test kits to the State.
An official release said, Mr. Palaniswami reiterated his earlier demand seeking allocation of ₹9,000 crore, and to relax the fiscal deficit limits of 3% of GSDP for 2019-20 and 2020-21, as a one-time measure. “To meet out the additional expenditure arising due this pandemic, additional borrowing of 33% above the permitted level for 2019-20, may be allowed for 2020-21,” he reiterated.
Mr. Palaniswami also requested to release in advance the grants due to States in 2020-21 and to release 50% of the Finance Commission grants to urban and rural local bodies, besides 50% of the revenue deficit grant. The GST compensation amount due for the December- January 2019-20 and grants under the National Health Mission could be released immediately. “The ways and means limit of the States, which was increased by 30% by the RBI should be doubled. The ways and means advances availed during 2020-21 should be made interest free,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Elaborating on the status of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, he said the State Disaster Management Authority has conducted 11 meetings and that he has issued various directions and is addressing the situation on a daily basis. Inter-State transport has been stopped, except for the movement of goods, the availability of essential commodities for people during this lockdown period has been ensured and about 2.10 lakh international passengers have been screened and 77,330 of them are under home quarantine for 28 days.
“A detailed micro plan for each district has been drawn to meet the healthcare needs of senior citizens, ante-natal and post-natal mothers and infants, patients on chronic treatment like TB, HIV, hypertension and diabetes, patients needing dialysis and is being executed by mobile health teams in the districts,” he said. The Health Department has identified 22,000 isolation beds and 5,934 ICU beds in the government and private sectors so far. As on date 2,641 samples have been tested, 1,631 persons have been isolated.
Omandurar Medical College Hospital in Chennai and Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital have been declared as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, the CM pointed out and said: “Apart from this, one hospital in each district has been identified and provided with treatment facilities for COVID-19.” Presently the State has 11 government facilities and six private labs for COVID-19 testing. “This needs to be increased by having at least one per district,” he insisted.
As for migrant labourers, who were stranded in Tamil Nadu, they were being taken care of by the District Collectors by providing them stay and free rations. A total of 153 camps have been set up, housing 11,957 migrant workers, who were being provided with cooked food and medical facilities. Old age homes were provided with free cooked nutritious meal and homeless persons were given shelter and free cooked nutritious meals, he added.
