80% Cost Of 1st Phase Of Covid Vaccination To Come From PM CARES Fund

The Expenditure Secretary TV Somanathan in a statement said that more than 82 per cent of the cost of the first phase of the vaccination drive during January to March is being borne by the PM CARES Fund.

The PM-CARES fund setup with the aim to provide relief during the coronavirus pandemic, has contributed over Rs 2,200 crore for the first phase of vaccination drive.

PM CARES fund and Health Ministry has contributed money and hence, the cost of vaccination of frontline and healthcare workers in the current fiscal is being borne fully by the central government.

The Expenditure Secretary TV Somanathan in a statement on Tuesday told PTI that more than 82 per cent of the cost of the first phase of the vaccination drive during January to March is being borne by the PM CARES Fund.

"For January-March the (vaccination) cost is expected to be about Rs 2,700 crore approximately. Part of it is coming from the Health Ministry and some part of it is funded from the PM CARES fund. This is for the first round of 3 crore frontline and health workers,"  Somanathan said.

"We had provided additional funds to the Health Ministry for contingency costs of vaccination. We made an additional allocation of Rs 480 crore for three crore batches of vaccination. The remaining Rs 2,220 crore will come from the PM-Cares fund," the official added.

It is to be noted that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made no  separate allocation for vaccination in her budget in the current fiscal, but has set aside Rs 35,000 crore towards COVID vaccination in her Budget for the next fiscal beginning April 2021.