Sitharaman tweeted, ”The government on May 11, 2020, released Rs 6,195.08 crore to 14 states because the second equated monthly instalment of the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. This would provide them with additional resources during the Corona crisis.”
advance payments On Monday were released by the Centre worth over Rs 1,276 crore to Kerala, followed by over Rs 952 crore to Himachal Pradesh and over Rs 638 crore to Punjab. Assam received Rs 631 crore, Andhra Pradesh Rs 491 crore, Uttarakhand Rs 423 crore, and West Bengal got Rs 417 crore.
It will help state governments to take preventive and mitigation measures like setting up quarantine facilities, sample collection, screening and setting up of additional testing laboratories to contain Covid-19.
It will also help to cover the cost of consumables, and purchase of thermal scanners, ventilators, air purifiers, and consumables for government hospitals and personal protection equipment (PPE) for healthcare, municipal, police and fire authorities.
These grants cover the deficit on post-devolution of revenue, or revenue deficit, to states for May.
On April 3, Rs 6,195 crore was released as the first instalment of the ‘Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant’ to 14 states — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand & West Bengal.
