The State Government is likely to allocate more funds for the health and family welfare sector in the ensuing Annual Budget for 2017-18.
Senior officials in the Health and Family Welfare Department are expecting at least a 20 per cent hike in allocations for the department, sources said.
The Government had allocated `5258,90,98,000 for the department in the fiscal 2016-17. The amount may be hiked to `6343 crore, an increase of around 20 per cent, in the fiscal 2017-18, added sources.
In the State plan, around 26 per cent funds are likely to be raised. While `3,203.5 crore was allocated in 2016-17 FY, the Government is planning to increase it to `4,033.85 crore in 2017-18 FY.
Similarly, in Non-Plan sector, while the allocation was `2,005.93 crore, the same is likely to be increased to `2,260 crore in the upcoming financial year.
Since the Centre is considering reducing funds in the proposed Budget under National Health Mission (NHM), National Ayush Mission (NAM) and Rashtriya Swasthya Bikas Yojana (RSBY), the allocation is expected to be hiked in medical education, infrastructure development, medicine and Odisha Treatment Fund.
Similarly, the State Government is planning to make more allocations for the proposed medical colleges in the State.
Notably, the department has spent around 66 per cent of funds by January 15 out of the total allocations made in the 2016-17 Budget.