By Purushottam P. Khatri

Kathmandu, Apr. 3: The Coronavirus Prevention, Control and Treatment Fund (CPCTF) established by the federal government received over Rs 1.59 billion in the fund from various organisations and individuals as of Thursday.
On Thursday alone, the Fund received Rs 1.34 billion contributed by various government institutions functioning under the various ministries and banks and financial institutions.
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), operating under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, contributed the highest amount of Rs 500 million to the fund, according to Secretary Narayan Prasad Bidari at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).
Secretary Bidari received the cheque provided by Managing Director Surendra Kumar Paudel at NOC amidst a function held at the OPMCM Thursday afternoon.
On the occasion, several other government institutions and commercial banks operating across the country had contributed their money to the fund.
Chairman of Nepal Telecommunication Authority Purushottam Khanal and Managing Director of Nepal Telecom Company Limited Dilli Ram Adhikari contributed Rs 150 million and Rs 120 million respectively. Nepal Freight Forwarders Association contributed Rs 706,101.
Similarly, offices running under the Ministry of Finance have also contributed to the fund.
Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) and Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund contributed Rs 30 million each to the fund.
Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) also contributed Rs 30.5 million, while Citizens Investment Trust forwarded Rs 20 million, CDS and Clearing Limited handed over Rs 13.5 million, Nepal Reinsurance Company Limited provided Rs 10.1 million, and Beema Samiti Rs 50 million. Similarly, Rastriya Beema Sansthan contributed Rs 10 million, Employees Provident Fund Rs 50 million, and Rastriya Banijaya Bank and Nepal Bank Limited Rs 13.5 million each.
President of Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA) Bhuwan Kumar Dahal said that 20 out of 27 commercial banks in the country had already announced to contribute Rs 220 million to the fund. Some other big commercial banks are yet to deposit the amount, he said.
He said major banks had also contributed their fund to the state governments as well.
Nepal Investment Bank handed over the cheque of Rs 10 million, NMB Rs 15.1 million, Prabhu Bank Rs 10.1 million, Nepal Bangladesh Bank Rs 14.5 million, and Prime Commercial Bank Rs 17.5 million to the fund.
Mega Bank also deposited Rs 13.5 million, out of which Rs 10 million was deposited to the central fund and Rs 3.5 million to the fund of the state governments.
Machhapuchhre Bank also contributed Rs 5.1 million to the central fund and Rs 3.5 million to the funds established by the state governments. Apart from this, the bank also contributed Rs 2 million to Nepal Police for managing foods to the needy, according to Santosh Koriala of the bank.
Speaking at the function, Finance Minister and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada said that all the deposited amount would be made public and transparent and spent only through

the Auditors General Office after the Finance Ministry gave an order to release the budget.
In case the collected money could not be all spent from the fund, it will go to the PM’s Central Natural Disaster Relief Fund, he said. Minister Dr Khatiwada also urged all sectors and institutions to contribute to the fund. The central government, last week, had established the fund by depositing the opening amount of Rs 500 million.
The government provided a bank account of Rastriya Banijya Bank Limited of Singha Durbar Parisar to deposit such money. Anyone can deposit the money in the account number 196000001101. As of Wednesday, the fund had a total of Rs 247.37 million contributed by various organisations, according to joint secretary Rajendra Kumar Paudel at OPMCM.