In yet another populist measure ahead of the 2014 elections, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday relaxed some of the provisions of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to enable the poor and distressed to avail easy and increased financial assistance.
According to official sources, the CM for the first time floated a Harischandra Sahayata scheme in Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to provide assistance to the poor and distressed families for funeral rights. While sub-divisions having municipal corporations would be given Rs 2l each, other sub-divisions would be provided with Rs1 lakh each to give required assistance towards funeral rights to the poor. Besides for conducting the last rights, the Sarpanchs and chairman of the urban local bodies were allowed to provide Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 to the victim family.
The CM earmarked Rs1 lakh to each of the 314 blocks per annum and authorized the District Collectors and Sub-Collectors to provide relief to the poor, needy and distressed for treatment in case of chronic diseases and transportation charges of the ailing persons and people during accidents besides medicine cost.