ROURKELA: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reiterated the demand for Odisha's second AIIMS at Sundargarh town and said the BJD government would continue to follow up with the Centre till it is materialised.
Launching the distribution of smart health cards for Sundargarh district at Rourkela on Tuesday, Naveen said his government has been repeatedly raising AIIMS demand with the centre and has made its stand clear in the Odisha Assembly.
"The State government would follow up the legitimate demand of the people of Sundargarh," he said.
The Chief Minister virtually laid foundations for projects worth about Rs 600 crore for the district from the function venue at Super Speciality Hospital of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP).
In a pre-recorded video speech, Naveen wished people ‘Nuakhai Juhar’. He said Odisha is the first state in the country to launch family health coverage of Rs 5 lakh annually and Rs 10 lakh for women.
"Sundargarh is the second district to get smart health cards under Biju Swastha Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). The cards were first distributed in the Malkangiri district on August 20. The smart health card would remove the hospitalisation burden on people as the government would now bear the treatment cost," he said.
Naveen said, "Every life is precious to me. I wish everybody stay healthy. No one should face any difficulty in meeting treatment costs and work for the development of their families. Development of every family adds to the growth of the state.”
Sundargarh has a special contribution to the growth of Odisha and its hockey players have brought laurels to the state, the CM said and again congratulated Olympians Birendra Lakra, Amit Rohidas, Deep Grace Ekka, and Namita Toppo.
Among others, 5T Secretary V Karthikeya Pandian, Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, Rourkela and RN Pali MLAs, Sarada Prasad Nayak and Subrat Tarai, were present.
Meanwhile, about 100 BJP members were taken to preventive custody from near Sector 17 and 36 Congress activists were held from near Door Sanchar Bhawan for trying to oppose the CM's visit.