By Manjima Dhakal

Kathmandu, Mar. 29: A total of Rs 15,310,322,200 was deposited in Coronavirus Infection Prevention, Control and Treatment Fund till Friday from institutions and public besides the government Rs 500 milion fund to fight against the corona virus within country.
Talking to The Rising Nepal, Rajendra Kumar Poudel, spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office and Council of Ministers said the amount is only the deposited amount, not what people had pledged to donate.
Poudel expressed inability to declare the total amount collected in the fund till Saturday because the bank is closed on Saturday.
According to the government, Ncell deposited Rs 100,000,000, Bhatbhateni Supermarket deposited Rs 10,000,000, Agriculture Development Bank supported Rs 12,500,000, Hetauda School of Management supported Rs. 1,000,000, Radha Madhav Samiti donated Rs. 1,500,000, LRI School, Kalanki supported Rs. 100,000, NEBL supported Rs. 1,000,000, Nepali Congress supported Rs. 5,000,000, Health Entrepreneurs Federation supported Rs. 510,000 and different individuals supported Rs. 2,493,222.
The government had decided to create a central fund of Rs 500 million to fight against the coronavirus within the country. The government has also urged all common people from across the country to donate money as per their wish and capacity. Besides the deposited amount, many institutions and individuals have announced suppor to the fund.
By Saturday, various organisations and individuals have pledged their support to the government fund created to collect money to prevent and combat COVID-19. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has contributed her two months’ salary in the fund while Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chair and Vice-chair of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives have announced to contribute a month’s salary to the fund.
The main opposition party Nepali Congress has decided to contribute 15-day salary of its lawmakers in the Federal Parliament.
Likewise, President of Rastriya Janata Party Raj Kishor Yadav has pledged a month’s salary to the fund.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) and Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal have decided to contribute Rs 10 million each to the fund.
National Cooperative Bank Limited has pledged Rs 1.1 million to the fund and appealed its member cooperative ogranisations to support the government in the initiative.
Nepali folk singer and actor Prakash Saput has donated Rs 200,000 and whereas player Sandip Lamichhane donated Rs 100,000.
Meanwhile, on Saturday Chief Commissioner Nabin Kumar Ghimire and Commissioners Dr Ganesh Raj Joshi and Dr Sabitri Thapa of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) have announced to contribute 15 days’ salary to the fund instituted by the government.
Issuing a press statement by the CIAA Saturday informed that other employees of the CIAA including secretary will donate support in the fund as per the decision of the government.
Anyone willing to make a donation can deposit contributions to its bank account 196000001101 in Rastriya Banijya Bank.