Mumbai: To fight COVID-19 BMC spent INR 3,000 crores since 2020

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data revealed that since 2020 the civic body has spent over INR 3,000 crores on handling COVID-19. 

They spent the majority of the amount in setting up healthcare infrastructure. It includes increasing bed capacity, coming up with makeshift coronavirus hospitals, procuring medications used for treating the virus, etc.

The money spent in 2020-21 was primarily for enhancing healthcare in the form of jumbo bed facilities, setting up new COVID-19 care centres. They spent the amount on medical equipment such as PPE kits, N95 masks, three-ply masks, gloves, face shields, thermometers, etc.

In the 2020-21 budget, BMC had set aside INR 2 crore for fighting coronavirus. Later they spent money from the contingency funds. According to the data, the administration spent over INR 1,219 crores in the ongoing fiscal. In 2020-21 they spent over INR 1,809 crores while in 2019-20, they spent more than INR 9.18 crores. 

Also read: No City Can Match Mumbai's Fight Against COVID-19: BMC Chief Iqbal Chahal

The civic body, in the ongoing fiscal, is spending from the health budget. They had allocated INR 4,728.53 crores, 12% of the budget, to the health sector. The BMC has spent over INR 1,200 crores. It is expected that they will spend at least INR 500 crores for setting up oxygen plants in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, corporators have questioned the civic body over expenditure on coronavirus. On Wednesday, October 20, in the standing committee meeting, BJP and Congress had demanded a white paper on COVID-19 related expenditure. Ravi Raja, opposition leader, alleged that the BMC is taking advantage of the pandemic and made purchases at inflated rates.