Cuttack: A day after a man was seen carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders for about 12 kms after he failed to obtain a mortuary van or an ambulance from the hospital authorities in Bhawanipatna, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday launched the Mahaprayan scheme at Bajapur under Mahanga block.
Family members will be provided vehicles to carry the dead bodies of their near and dear ones who die in hospitals to their homes free of cost under this scheme, sources said.
The scheme is now available at all district headquarters hospitals and three medical colleges in the state, sources said.
Besides, the Chief Minsiter also dedicated 100 bridges under Biju Setu programme and included 3 lakh beneficiaries under Madhu pension scheme.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister, said, “I am very happy to inaugurate 100 bridges for 23 districts including for Cuttack today. My government is focusing on to provide all facilities in villages that are available in towns. My government has empowered the panchayats.”
“More than 40 lakh people of were included under Madhu Babu Pension scheme. Today, additional 3 lakh more are added under the scheme. The state government today launched Mahaprayana scheme to provided vehicles to carry the dead bodies of their near and dear ones who die in hospitals to their homes free of cost,” Patnaik added.
Among others, Rural Development minister Badri Narayan Patra, Usha Debi, Labour minister Prafulla Mallick, all MLAs of Cuttack, MPs of Kendrapara, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts were present during the ocassion.