CHHATTISGARH Legislative Assembly on Thursday evening passed the grant demands amounting Rs 6976.54 crore of Minster for Public Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, OBC and Minority Development Department Shyam Bihari Jaiswal’s departments for the financial year 2026-27 by voice vote following a discussion. Replying to the discussion on grant demands of his departments, Shyam Bihari Jaiswal said that the health services of the state will be based on SANKALP. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal said that Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the cashless scheme for all government officials and employees in the state. Minister Jaiswal said that the object of the State government is to ensure the health of every citizen in the state. Planned work is being done to expand the state’s health infrastructure, ensuring quality health services are available even in remote areas. 25 new dialysis centres will be established in the state to make treatment of serious diseases accessible. Additionally, 50 Jan Aushadhi centres will be expanded to provide affordable medicines to the general public. The state’s first Homeopathy College will be established in Raipur to promote traditional medical practices.

 

Additionally, a State Cancer Institute will be established in Bilaspur, providing cancer patients with stateof-the-art treatment facilities within the state. Central India’s stateof-the-art Cardiac Institute will be set up in Raipur. This institute will provide highquality cardiac care to the state’s citizens. A provision of Rs 25 crore has been made for infrastructure development at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. This will further strengthen and expand pediatric cardiac care services. Rs 95 crore has been made for the establishment of Central India’s most modern integrated food and drug laboratory in Raipur. The opening of this laboratory will eliminate the state’s dependence on metropolitan cities like Delhi and provide rapid and quality testing facilities to Chhattisgarh and other bordering states, said the Minister in the House. The state’s ambulance shortage will soon be addressed. Tenders are underway for 300 new ambulances for all districts. Additionally, the process to purchase 70 state-of-the-art ambulances equipped with ventilators and 10 other fully equipped ambulances for newborns will also be completed soon.

 

Over Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated for the Directorate of Medical Education for the financial year 2026-27. Provision has been made for 1,240 posts for the five new government medical colleges (Dantewada, Manendragarh, Jashpur, Janjgir-Champa and Kabirdham) and 500 posts for the associated hospitals. Rs 544 crore has been allocated under the AYUSH Department for the fiscal year 2026-27. A provision of Rs 25.73 crore has been made for medicines and Rs 4.16 crore for equipment. Funds have also been allocated for the upgrading of seven Ayurveda hospitals, 13 AYUSH polyclinics, and 692 AYUSH dispensaries through public participation. A hostel and seminar hall will be constructed at the Government Ayurveda College campus in Raipur. The State government is committed to the overall development of the backward and minority sections of society. A total budget provision of Rs 251.683 million has been made for various schemes.

 

The Chief Minister’s Education Assistance Scheme for Other Backward Class students will be launched in the state. Under this scheme, backward class students will receive free educational and residential facilities. In addition, a 500-seater Kanya Prayas Residential School will be established for backward class students in Bilaspur, a 200-seater post-matric girls’ hostel in Raipur, a 100-seater post-matric girls’ hostel in Raigarh, a 100- seater post-matric girls’ hostel in Manendragarh, and a 50-seater pre-matric boys’ and girls’ hostel in Jashpur. A provision of Rs 20 crore has been made in the budget for this, he added. Earlier, Congress MLA Sangeeta Sinha started discussion on the grant demands in the House. Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Dr Charan Das Mahant, MLAs Dharamjeet Singh, Kiran Singh Deo, Anuj Sharma, Raghvendra Kumar Singh and other MLAs participated in the discussion.