Grant Demands Exceeding ₹6710.85 Crore Approved for Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal’s Departments

Raipur, March 11

The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly today approved grant demands exceeding ₹6710.85 crore for the Public Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education, and Twenty-Point Program Implementation Departments for the financial year 2025-26.

While responding to discussions on grant demands for the Public Health & Family Welfare Department, Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal informed the House that ₹4 crore has been allocated for constructing district hospitals in Gariaband and Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi. Additionally, ₹100-bed hospitals will be set up in Janakpur (Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur) to enhance healthcare services. Also, 100-bed hospitals in Janjgir-Champa and Kabirdham districts will be upgraded to 220-bed facilities, with 516 new positions created.

Strengthening Healthcare Institutions
The minister highlighted a ₹20 crore budget for setting up national-level healthcare institutions, including a State Vaccine Storage Center, National Disease Control Center, and All India Institute of Speech & Hearing. He also announced the establishment of new Jan Aushadhi Kendras (Public Medicine Centers) to ensure affordable and high-quality medicines for the public.

Sickle Cell and Mental Health Initiatives
To support free medication, counseling, and timely testing for sickle cell patients, screening centers will be set up in every block of the state with a ₹5 crore allocation. Additionally, ₹2 crore has been earmarked for the Siyan Care Clinic initiative.

The government plans to expand the Bilaspur Mental Hospital from 100 to 200 beds and set up two new mental health hospitals in Jagdalpur and Manendragarh. The 100-bed hospital in Dantewada will be upgraded to a 220-bed civil hospital to ensure better healthcare facilities.

Health Insurance & Advanced Medical Infrastructure
Under the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Ayushman Health Scheme, ₹1500 crore has been allocated to provide free health insurance to 7.72 million families in the state. The Advanced Cardiac Institute at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Hospital, Raipur, will undergo expansion, with ₹10 crore earmarked for its development, including cardiac bypass surgeries.

AYUSH and Drug Administration
A budget of ₹517 crore has been allocated to expand AYUSH healthcare services, including ₹25 crore for medicines and ₹6 crore for medical equipment.

To ensure food and drug safety, ₹102 crore has been sanctioned for the Food and Drug Administration Department. The state’s only food and drug testing laboratory in Raipur will receive ₹6 crore to enhance its testing capacity. Additionally, ₹49 crore has been allocated for constructing a new Integrated Food & Drug Testing Laboratory.

Medical Education Expansion
12 New Nursing Colleges
To promote vocational education and employment in the healthcare sector, 12 new nursing colleges will be established. Among these, nine will be funded under the state scheme (Balrampur, Dantewada, Pusaur-Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur, Baikunthpur, Naya Raipur, Kurud-Dhamtari, and Bijapur), while three will be set up under the central scheme (Kanker, Korba, and Mahasamund). A ₹34 crore budget has been allocated for the first phase.

Six New Physiotherapy Colleges
The state will establish six new physiotherapy colleges in Bilaspur, Durg, Jagdalpur, Jashpur, Manendragarh, and Raigarh. Additionally, a Regional Training Center will be set up in Raipur to enhance medical education and provide modern training for faculty members. Five new positions will be created to support this initiative.

Medical Colleges & Hospital Infrastructure Upgrades
Raigarh Medical College will receive ₹20 crore for development and maintenance.
Rajnandgaon Medical College will receive ₹5 crore for electrification work.
₹5 crore has been allocated to establish a new medical college in Kunkuri, Jashpur.
₹20 crore will be used for medical equipment in Raipur’s Regional Cancer Institute.
Modern medical equipment will be provided, including ₹15 crore for an MRI machine and ₹13 crore for a CT scan at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Smriti Hospital, Raipur. Mahasamund Medical College will receive ₹7 crore for a CT scan machine.
₹1850 Crore for National Health Mission
The National Health Mission (NHM) will receive ₹1850 crore for the upcoming fiscal year. This budget will enhance elderly healthcare services in district hospitals and expand day-care cancer treatment facilities in all district hospitals, ensuring cancer patients receive treatment in their home districts.

Twenty-Point Program Implementation Department
Under the Twenty-Point Program Implementation Department, ₹4 crore has been allocated to support initiatives related to poverty eradication, employment, education, housing, healthcare, land reforms, irrigation, drinking water, consumer protection, environmental conservation, and e-governance.

During the discussion, MLAs Raghavendra Singh, Dharamjit Singh, Atal Srivastava, Punnu Lal Mohle, Dharamlal Kaushik, Vyas Kashyap, Ram Kumar Yadav, and Smt. Raimuni Bhagat shared their valuable suggestions.