Burdened, Shinde puts a stop to sop opera

After a series of pre-poll concessions worth Rs 3,000 crore announced over the past fortnight, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde...

After a series of pre-poll concessions worth Rs 3,000 crore announced over the past fortnight, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has finally conceded that the state exchequer would not be able to bear the burden of more sops.

‘‘Today, we rejected some proposals since the financial burden involved was unbearable for the state,’’ Shinde said after a three-hour Cabinet meeting on Monday.

‘‘We have taken decisions with a view that the burden should be manageable when we come back to power,’’ he added. Nevertheless, Shinde could not resist making one final announcement — free treatment for over three lakh disabled persons in government hospitals.

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Under the latest scheme, disabled persons — orthopaedic patients, speech and hearing impaired and psychiatric patients — will get free treatment at government hospitals across the state.

The move might not have been all that necessary as even now, some government hospitals charge nominal fees for this category, which is much less compared to private hospitals. Further, separate counters would be opened for the disabled in outpatient departments in all government hospitals, said Minister of State for Public Health Suresh Shetty.

The scheme will cost the state Rs 5 crore in the first year, Shetty added.