New cancer institute at IGIMS to cost Rs 120 crore

PATNA: A new cancer institute will be set up on the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) premises at the cost of Rs 120 crore. The IGIMS director and the State Health Society will soon sign a tripartite agreement with the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

To be named as State Cancer Institute, the proposed hospital would be set up under the Centre-sponsored National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, CVD and Stroke (NPCDCS). The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the health department’s proposal in this regard.

Cabinet secretariat department principal secretary B Pradhan said the Centre would bear 75% of the total cost. The state government would meet the rest 25% cost.

As per the draft agreement approved by the cabinet, the IGIMS director would provide free of cost treatment and beds to cancer patients below poverty line (BPL). Reasonable user charges would be fixed with the state government approval for poor patients who may not be from the BPL category.

In another major decision, the government has brought all the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) families in the state under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) scheme, with the exception to those who pay income tax or are the Grade 1, II and III government officers/employees. The decision will benefit around 2 crore SC/ST people who are generally under the BPL category. They will be provided food almost free of cost as per the government norms, Pradhan said.

The cabinet also approved a general administration department’s proposal to fill up to 50% sanctioned posts of office attendants on contract basis from the Homeguards. It also approved the action taken report (ATR) on the findings of the Madhubani Police Firing Inquiry Commission which submitted its final report to the government on September 30 last.

A sum of Rs 65.50 crore has been released for the payment of salary and allowances of the staff of Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, Bhagalpur. Out of the Rs 65.50 crore, Rs 2 crore is for creating assets in the university.