Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide a total of Rs 1 lakh crore as an immediate assistance for the state governments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, an official statement said.
During a video conference of the PM with chief ministers, Gehlot also urged Modi for an interstate supply chain protocol to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials, medicines and medical equipment, it said.
Rajasthan CM told the prime minister that many of the states are already facing a difficult financial situation due to the pandemic which has badly affected the economy as the industries are shut and revenue collection has nosedived, the statement said.
During the video conference, Gehlot suggested that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should coordinate the procurement process so that states can get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ventilators at reasonable prices, it said.
The chief minister also briefed PM Modi on the measures taken by the Rajasthan government to help the people during COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.
I told PM that we are working 24X7, we have formed a core group under ACS Home. The war room is functioning separately and in each district war rooms have been set up. Entire monitoring is happening at the CM level, Gehlot tweeted.
All poor people in state, deprived sections and those in old age homes, orphanages, destitute, beggars, divyangs, whether in cities or villages, we are registering all of them so that we can provide food to them in crisis, he said.
Gehlot said 78 lakh beneficiaries of social security pension schemes have been given the pension amount for the month of February and the pensions for the month of March will be credited this week.