Amid mounting criticism, Meghalaya CM explains how Rs 399 crore was spent to fight COVID

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today said that his Government can provide information as to how Rs. 399 crore was spent in fighting the COVID-19 disease. The comes amid a rising clamour among civil society organisations demanding "transparency and accountability" on the funds spent. Recently, the state's Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had announced that Rs 399 crore was incurred by the state government in the fight against COVID-19.

Addressing the concerns, Sangma said in today's RTI (Right to Information) age, everything is open; everybody can go to the details and find out what is happening.

Responding to the allegations regarding certain items like food, the Chief Minister assured that the government had ensured that good quality food was being given to the people.

Admitting that there are certain allegations about essential items like food, the Chief Minister said that the government had ensured that good quality food was given to the people.

"We ensure that the best services are given to them (the citizens). We ensure that testing continues even though it cost us Rs 30 crore; even though other states are charging from the citizens," Sangma has been quoted as saying.

The Chief Minister further announced that the Government had spent around Rs 50 crore to help more than 1.5 lakh daily wage-earners who were badly affected by the virus-triggered lockdown.

Sangma further announced that his government had acquired the PPE kits and other equipment at that point of time when there was shortage in the market. The stock of PPEs will last till March next year, Sangma said.

Sangma said that his government did all that it could when the situation was war-like and with the limited resources the State had.

It may be pointed out that the Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) - a civil society organisation in Meghalaya, had asked the National People's Party (NPP)-led government to be "transparent and accountable" about the Rs 399 crore "supposedly spent" on COVID-19. The organization has claimed that very few people have actually received the benefits declared by the government.

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