more-in Considering the increase in trauma cases, Chief Minister V.Narayanasamy in his budget presentation on Monday proposed to establish an exclusive spinal injury treatment centre at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute. Mr. Narayanasamy added that as part of the family welfare programme it is proposed to include the intra-uterine insemination in the infertility services provided in the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Children Hospital. “New OPD block at General Hospital, Karaikal, will be constructed for the convenience of outpatients this year. Construction of new building for PHCs at Sedarapet, Bahour and Villanur will be taken up this year. Additional building will be constructed at CHC, Ariyankuppam to expand the hospital,” he said. Mr. Narayanasamy said the new Centrally-sponsored scheme including Ayushman Bharath (National Health Protection Scheme) to provide health care coverage to the socio-economically weaker sections will be implemented in the Union Territory of Puducherry this year. “The Government of Puducherry is actively considering implementation of a universal health care protection scheme for poor. Initially, the Puducherry government signed an MoU with the Government of India to provide cashless treatment to the socially and economically weaker section people of the Union Territory. At least 1,03,435 families were identified to execute the scheme through insurance mode as a joint venture with the assistance of Government of India,” he said. The Chief Minister proposed to extend the scheme to all poor families whose family income does not exceed ? 1.50 lakh per year, by providing insurance benefit up to ? 5 lakh, under the new scheme namely the Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme. Under Nikshay Poshan Yojana, all TB patients notified on or after April 1, 2018, and all existing patients under treatment would be provided a cash incentive of ? 500 per month for nutritional support. “The construction work of JIPMER Hospital at Karaikal at a cost of about ? 400 crore will commence shortly. Infrastructure facilities will be improved in the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute by availing negotiated loan from M/s HUDCO Ltd, Chennai. It is proposed to establish a modern warehouse for storing all types of medicines or drugs and other consumables in the government pharmacy,” he said. Housing subsidy With regard to Adi Dravidar Welfare, Mr.Narayanasamy said that this year, 2,000 SC beneficiaries would be covered under the amalgamated housing subsidy scheme namely Bharath Rathna Rajiv Gandhi Housing Subsidy and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. “Financial assistance for performing marriage being granted to the first 2 SC girls whose family income is within ? 2 lakh will be increased from ? 75,000 to ? 1 lakh each. The financial assistance of ? 1 lakh being extended for inter-caste marriage will be enhanced to ? 2.50 lakh on par with the scheme being implemented by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi. Action will be initiated to construct a new building on the premises of Adi Dravidar Welfare department to accommodate the PADCO Administrative office presently functioning in a private rental building,” he said. He added the Department of Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare would be bifurcated and officers would be posted accordingly. “This government has been implementing various welfare schemes for the educational and economic upliftment of the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities. As education is a basic requirement for socio-economic development, the government lays greater emphasis on educational advancement of the backward classes and minorities. Keeping this in view, scholarships, prizes, incentives etc, will be extended for the benefit of students,” he added.

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