Government streamlines process of CMRF grants disbursement

From Our Correspondent

Itagar, Jan 31: On the initiative of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the Aruchal Pradesh government has streamlined the process and disbursement of grants from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for transparency and faster relief to those in urgent need. A notification in this regard, with approval from the state Cabinet, has been issued today for immediate effect. As per the notification, the ex-gratia payment presently done from the district administration (DA) department and Home department has been subsumed with CMRF. Henceforth, the ex-gratia payment to victims of attack by suspected militants or anti-social elements, motor vehicle accidents, electrocution, boat mishaps, rape, riot, etc would be done from the CMRF.

Prescribed rates for payment have also been revised and fixed to maintain impartiality and uniformity. As such, for death cases an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakhs per person has been fixed, while critically injured would be granted Rs 2 lakhs and the injured would get an aid of Rs 50 thousand. Further, fincial assistance for urgent medical treatment shall be provided to the needy and poor, particularly those not covered under the Chief Minister’s Universal Health Insurance Scheme (CMUHIS). As per the notification maximum fincial assistance for treatment purposes would not exceed Rs 4 lakhs for each individual case. Patients with termil diseases and critically ill patients, even if they are covered under CMUHIS, would also be entitled up to this prescribed ceiling of Rs 4 lakhs. As fund under CMRF is limited, it has been decided that fincial assistance would be provided only for major treatment and critical diseases.

The chief minister, who is the sanctioning authority, may modify the recommended quantum of assistance, which however will not exceed the prescribed limit of Rs 4 lakhs. To smoothen the process of service delivery, a prescribed application format has been filized.