Chandigarh, Aug 5 (IANS): The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday approved an expenditure of Rs 501.07 crore incurred so far by the state to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that out of the Rs 501.07 crore, Rs 76.07 crore was spent by the Health Sector Response and Procurement Committee for the purchase of various equipment, while Rs 425 crore was spent out of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and budgetary resources set aside for managing and controlling of the pandemic.

The state has allocated funds totalling to Rs 470 crore out of the SDRF and budgetary resources to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, of which 90.42 per cent has already been spent.

The funds were allocated for the management and control of the pandemic and augmentation of the health infrastructure, including procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment for enhanced testing and protective gear for frontline workers.