Mayor’s medical relief only after April 2012

Those who want to apply for the mayor’s medical relief will have to wait till April 2012 as the funds have been exhausted.

A public notice put up in front of the mayor’s office says: ‘Applications for the mayor’s medical compensation will be received after April 2012.’

Hundreds of applicants, who are unaware of this cash crunch, are still visiting the mayor’s office for medical relief.

So far, the mayor’s office has received more than 2,300 applications.

“Of them, the mayor has cleared 944 applications for relief worth Rs3.50 lakh,” he said.

At least 430 files are on the mayor’s table awaiting approval.

“People who are in urgent need of financial help for medical treatment keep visiting the mayor’s office every day hoping that their application will get sanctioned,” he said.

As applications keep piling up, officials are worried.

“With fund exhausted, we have stopped accepting applications since December 1. Some 500 applications sent to the zonal deputy health officers (DHO) for verification have not reached the mayor’s table yet,” he said.

The BBMP budget had earmarked Rs4 crore for the mayor’s medical fund. Fifteen days ago, BBMP mayor R Shardamma wrote a letter to the BBMP commissioner asking him to release the medical fund as early as possible.

The problem is linked to the delay in approval of the budget by the state government. 

A similar situation had played out when SK Nataraj was mayor.
He, too, had put up a notice in front of his office asking the public to wait for medical relief till the next budget.

Of the applications received so far, 75% are genuine requiring urgent medical assistance for ailing residents.