00:00<\/b> Coronavirus News: Bengal Finance Minister Seeks Fund From Centre To Fight COVID-19 <\/font>
West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday wrote to the Centre, seeking immediate release of funds to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which, he said, has dealt a blow to the state's exchequer and hit hard the unorganised sector workers.

In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr Mitra expressed disappointment over the fact that the centre has sanctioned only Rs 417 crore for April, despite requests for an advance release of revenue deficit grants provided by the 15th Finance Commission.

\"We urged you to release the full amount of the grant during the months of April, May and June, 2020.\"

\"Incase of West Bengal, which would have amounted to Rs 5,013 crores in three instalments of Rs 1,671 crores each. But we are dismayed that the centre has released only an amount of Rs 417 crores for the month of April, without taking into cognisance the COVID-19 crisis. This is disappointing, if not shocking, at this critical hour,\" Mr Mitra wrote, news agency PTI reported.<\/div>","entype":"Text","h":"","img":"","imgalt":"","imgcaption":"","key":"False","link":"","s":56,"sub":"","t":"Apr 06, 2020-23:48:13","title":"West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday wrote to the Centre, seeking immediate release of funds to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which, he said, has dealt a blow to the state's exchequer and hit hard the unorganised sector workers.

In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr Mitra expressed disappointment over the fact that the centre has sanctioned only Rs 417 crore for April, despite requests for an advance release of revenue deficit grants provided by the 15th Finance Commission.

\"We urged you to release the full amount of the grant during the months of April, May and June, 2020.\"

\"Incase of West Bengal, which would have amounted to Rs 5,013 crores in three instalments of Rs 1,671 crores each. But we are dismayed that the centre has released only an amount of Rs 417 crores for the month of April, without taking into cognisance the COVID-19 crisis. This is disappointing, if not shocking, at this critical hour,\" Mr Mitra wrote, news agency PTI reported.","type":"nfeed"});