TS pins hope on Central budget Experts seek pvt health investment
Rail and highway projects, steel plant, Tribal University on state’s wish list
Erstwhile Warangal district is hoping that the Central government will address several of its issues in this year’s Budget, including inauguration of a Tribal University, sanction of Bayyaram steel factory and national project status for Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).
Tribal University is to be set up in Jakaram of Mulugu district. But the Centre has not yet acted on it till now. The state government is also hoping the Centre will recognise KLIP as a national project and provide funds.
People of weaker sections and unemployed youth in erstwhile Karimnagar district have been facing considerable problems since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. They too are pinning hopes on the 2021-22 union Budget for restarting their lives.
There are more than nine lakh farmers in united Karimnagar district. Many of them are facing huge losses as they are unable to get a good yield. While this is so, thousands of unemployed youth are migrating to other states or Gulf countries in search of employment opportunities. Revival of existing units like Nizam Sugar Factory will provide employment opportunities for local youth to an extent.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, when he was an MP representing Karimnagar, proposed a new railway line project at an estimated cost of `1,160 crore covering a distance of 151.40 km from Monaharabad to Kothapalli of Karimnagar district.
People of erstwhile Karimnagar district are now pinning hopes that Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay, the state BJP, will bring in new projects for the district in
● OTHER HOSPITALADMINISTRATORS, however, believe that infrastructure will remain inadequate unless the private sector chips in.
In the wake of the national crisis that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, healthcare professionals have urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to encourage private investment in the healthcare sector by offering tax incentives in her forthcoming Union Budget.
Though the government has indicated that it would increase healthcare spend to three per cent of the economy, Dr Riyaz M. Khan, CEO, Continental Hospitals, feels a major portion of it should be spent on primary healthcare.
“A major portion of this allocation must be spent on strengthening primary healthcare and improve the quality of healthcare delivery mechanisms. Covid-19 must work as an eyeopener to increase budget allocations for health sector,” he said.
Other hospital-administrators, however, believe that infrastructure will remain inadequate unless the private sector chips in.
“One major lesson learnt from the pandemic is the need to establish epidemiology units in all districts, and this is possible only when more investment comes into the sector. So the government must consider additional tax incentives for individuals and groups keen on investing in the health sector,” said Dr Rahul Medakkar, chief operating officer of Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills.
Apart from investment on physical healthcare infrastructure, Dr Mervin Leo, cluster COO, Gleneagles Global Hospitals, believes money needs to be spent on skill development and training the workforce to ensure better delivery of services.