THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the state budget to be presented on Friday, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac is expected to make a turnaround in streamlining the welfare assistance meant for weaker sections of the society. According to sources, Isaac plans to bring welfare schemes functioning under various departments under one organisation.
The large number of solatiums, welfare and treatment assistance are now provided from the the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Another major scheme is the Karunya Benevolent Fund operated under the Lottery Department which comes directly under the Finance Department. The Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme(CHIS) is functioning under the Labour Department. Social Justice Department also has been providing assistance under various names.
“Finance Minister has been planning to bring all these schemes under one umbrella so that their reach can be boosted. Moreover, it can help in bringing down the establishment cost,” said an officer close to the Finance Department circle.
Complaints have been galore about the implementation of the CHIS since the previous UDF Government came to power. With the previous Labour Ministry giving a free run to private hospitals and insurance companies, allegations have been raised about cartel formation while fixing contracts.
“Several private hospitals severed ties with the scheme, leaving patients seeking medical care in a difficult situation. Consequently, CHIS became unattractive to the beneficiaries. The only beneficiaries are private hospitals and insurance companies,” an officer who associated with CHIS in its initial stages told Express.
Political reasons also have been pointed out behind bringing Karunya Benevolent Scheme under the umbrella organisation. The Finance Minister and the CPM want to rename the programme and purge it from its image as a brain child of former Finance Minister K M Mani.