Srinagar, Mar 21: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and party leader Hasnain Masoodi released an amount of Rs one crore each from their MPLAD funds on Saturday to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The party president and Srinagar MP released an amount of Rs one crore from his MPLAD funds today to combat the COVID-19 threat in Jammu and Kashmir,” a National Conference (NC) spokesperson said.
He added that of the said amount, Rs 50 lakh have been earmarked for SKIMS, Srinagar while Rs 25 lakh each for Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.
The Srinagar parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Abdullah in the Lok Sabha, is spread over the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.
The spokesperson also said following directions from Abdullah, the party MP from south Kashmir’s Anantnag, Justice (retd.) Hasnain Masoodi, released an amount of Rs one crore to fight the coronavirus outbreak in his constituency.
“Masoodi has also released an amount of Rs one crore to combat the threat of the virus in his constituency,” he said.
The amount would be equally distributed among Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama — the four south Kashmir districts that were part of Masoodi’s constituency, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday contributed Rs one crore from his MPLAD Fund to Jammu and Kashmir for coronavirus prevention and health care to deal with the pandemic, officials said.
Singh, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Udhampur-Kathua-Doda in the Union Territory, submitted a letter to the District Development Commissioner, Kathua, recommending Rs one crore from his Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) fund as allocation to the Health Department for COVID-19 prevention and care, the official said.
Earlier, on his arrival at the Jammu airport, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office was the first passenger to file his health declaration form and submit it to the health authorities.
He also underwent thermal screening and complimented the doctors’ team, that comprised of his former students, for the “excellent service” being rendered by them, the official said.
