: In a significant move aimed at providing major financial relief to patients suffering from life-threatening ailments, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered an amendment to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Scheme guidelines.

As per the official government order, sanction has been accorded allowing Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to utilize up to ₹20.00 lakh out of their annual CDF allocation exclusively for providing medical assistance to patients from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and other notified economically weaker categories.

Under the revised guidelines, financial assistance can be sanctioned up to a maximum limit of ₹5.00 lakh for organ transplantation, ₹2.75 lakh for cancer treatment, and ₹1.00 lakh for chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, alongside other diseases notified by the government.

To ensure optimum utilization of resources, the assistance will be admissible for the uncovered portion of the treatment cost only after the patient has exhausted all eligible benefits under existing schemes, including PM-JAY SEHAT, Medical Aid Trust (MAT), and the Cancer Treatment and Management Fund for Poor (CTMFFP).

This timely welfare decision taken by the Omar Abdullah government is expected to benefit  the poor patients suffering from critical ailments belonging to Below poverty line families and   economically weaker categories to be notified by government.