Aurangabad, Dec 27:
The district collector has okayed releasing of dues to the tune of Rs 7.94 crore to Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), after the Task Force Committee meeting, today. It may be noted that the AMC has claimed dues of Rs 20 crore and was pursuing it for the last six months.
As reported earlier, the AMC to tackle the first and the second waves of the pandemic situation has obtained VTM kits for RT-PCR from private companies. The antigen test kits were also procured from private companies. The civic administration spent crores of rupees on buying PPE Kits, stocking medicines to infected patients, providing meals to them during the treatment period etc. Initially, the government was releasing funds continuously, but as soon as the situation came under control, the release of funds got stopped. The AMC had also arranged for oxygen cylinders in its hospitals, hired private ambulances to transport patients during an emergency and performed last rites upon persons dying of Covid-19. Meanwhile, the caretakers of various crematoriums in the city performed (free of cost) last rites by obtaining wooden logs on credit. They had to pay dues of Rs 76 lakh. The AMC administration, six months ago, had submitted the proposal.
" We are hoping to receive the sanctioned dues soon," said the municipal officer of health (MoH), Dr Paras Mandlecha.