Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Bias in sanctioning medical aid alleged

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communist Party of India (CPI) Legislature Party deputy leader Binoy Viswam has charged the Government with showing discrimination in the sanctioning of assistance from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for medical treatment.

He told presspersons here on Thursday that poor patients in the constituencies of Left Democratic Front (LDF) legislators were being discriminated against. These people had to wait for months together to get meagre assistance.

Mr. Viswam said he had criticised the diversion of tsunami funds at a conference convened by the Chief Minister in August.

Following this, a system of sending applications for medical assistance from Nadapuram constituency to the collectorate, from there to the taluk office and then to the village office was started.

It took months for these applications to complete their tour of various offices. By then at least some of the applicants must have passed away.

He asserted that the diversion of the tsunami funds was wrong. He wondered whether the Chief Minister was out to teach a lesson to those who pointed it out.

The Chief Minister's Relief Fund came into existence long before the establishment of the tsunami funds.

Every eligible person of the State had the right to get assistance from it. Till August last, the Chief Minister was following the practice of sanctioning assistance without looking into the political affiliation of the legislators. He asked the Chief Minister to clarify why the practice was changed. The discrimination was illegal and immoral. It was a violation of the oath of office he had taken.

He asked the Chief Minister to ensure that assistance for medical treatment from his fund reached eligible persons without any delay.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

IIED to start functioning in September
State eligibility test for appointing non-vocational teachers on April 23
Bias in sanctioning medical aid alleged
Achuthanandan alleges victimisation of students
Carmel School tops in youth fete
Construction worker falls to death
Demand to end ilmenite shortage
Award for Kadammanitta
Battle against the bulge
Photography competition
Fire at Ulloor
Around The City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today
Campus Notes

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu