Odisha plans fund for treatment of poor people

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Wednesday decided to

create a fund to provide financial assistance to poor people for

treatment of chronic diseases, an official said.The decision was

taken at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

here at his residence, a senior functionary of the chief minister's

office told IANS.Rs.10 crore from the chief minister's relief

fund will be allocated for the purpose and people will start taking

benefit of it from December, he said.A person below poverty line

can be provided up to Rs.3 lakh for treatment of diseases including

those of the heart and kidney, he said.Odisha is home to 36.70 million people, of which about half of them are below the poverty line.