To curb coronavirus, NC MPs donate Rs 1 crore each from MPLAD funds

Regional National Conference (NC) became the first party to make a donation to curb COVID-19 as its two MPs released Rs one crore each from their MPLAD funds in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The party president and Srinagar MP (Farooq Abdullah) released an amount of Rs one crore from his MPLAD funds today to combat the COVID-19 threat in Jammu and Kashmir,” a NC spokesperson said.

Out of this, Rs 50 lakh has been earmarked for super-specialty SKIMS hospital in Srinagar and Rs 25 lakh each for Budgam and Ganderbal districts. The Srinagar parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Abdullah in the Lok Sabha, covers the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.

In the meantime, another NC Member Parliament Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi released Rs one crore to combat COVID-19 threat in south Kashmir’s Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. A local news gathering agency quoting sources said the amount was released on the directions of Party president Abdullah.

The amount will be equally distributed to Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts. Masoodi said he has asked concerned deputy commissioners to utilise this money for purchasing ventilators and other equipments needed to augment health infrastructure to combat coronovirus spread.

Octogenarian Abdullah, who was released from seven-month detention this week, had on Thursday appealed to his party workers and well wishers not to visit his residence in view of the coronavirus threat. After his release, the NC chief wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking restoration of 4G Internet services in Kashmir which remain blocked since the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in August last year.