Srinagar, July 6: In a major welfare initiative aimed at strengthening healthcare support for financially disadvantaged families, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has amended the guidelines governing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), empowering Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to utilize a portion of their annual CDF allocation for medical assistance to patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.
According to an official government order, each MLA will now be permitted to earmark up to ₹20 lakh annually from the Constituency Development Fund to provide financial assistance to patients belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and other economically weaker sections notified by the government.
The revised guidelines specify the maximum financial assistance that can be extended for different critical illnesses. Patients requiring organ transplantation can receive assistance of up to ₹5 lakh, while those undergoing cancer treatment will be eligible for financial support of up to ₹2.75 lakh. Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and requiring regular dialysis may receive assistance of up to ₹1 lakh. The government has also kept provisions for extending aid to patients suffering from other life-threatening diseases as may be notified from time to time.
The order further states that financial assistance under the amended CDF guidelines will be provided only for the uncovered portion of treatment expenses. Beneficiaries must first exhaust all available support under existing government healthcare schemes, including PM-JAY SEHAT, the Medical Aid Trust (MAT), and the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for Poor (CTMFFP), before becoming eligible for assistance from the MLA’s CDF allocation.
The decision is expected to provide significant financial relief to economically weaker families struggling to meet the high cost of treatment for critical illnesses. By allowing legislators to directly support deserving patients within their constituencies, the government aims to ensure that financial constraints do not become a barrier to accessing life-saving healthcare.
The amendment is being viewed as a people-centric measure of the Omar Abdullah-led government and is expected to benefit a large number of poor patients across Jammu and Kashmir requiring expensive medical treatment for serious and life-threatening ailments.—(KNC)
