Days After Raising Hospital Charges, Karnataka Cuts Funds for Differently-Abled by 80%

Bengaluru: In a major decision, the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has slashed down the funds for differently-abled by 80 percent. The drastic cut in last year's allocation has come as a big shock to those waiting for these funds.

Karnataka Government Slashes Funds for Differently-Abled by 80%

As mentioned earlier, the funds allocated for the differently-abled in Karnataka, have been slashed by the government, by 80 percent. A total of 14 schemes are offered by the department for the support and empowerment of differently abled which include braille kits, hearing aids and crutches among other things.

The funds allocated last year were Rs 53 crore and for 2024-25, the funds have been cut to Rs 10 crore. The National Federation of the Blind have raised their voice against this cut, terming it ‘unjustifiable and unprecedented’.

Siddaramaiah-Led Govt Increased Hospital Charges

This step comes days after the Congress government in Karnataka increased the hospital charges. The Karnataka government in a big move increased the fees of government hospitals by 10 to 15 per cent under the Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).The list includes some prominent names like Victoria Hospital, Minto, Vani Vilas and Super Specialty hospitals.

The Congress-led state government issued a notice detailing the updated charges stating with immediate effect. The key changes include doubling the price of outpatient department (OPD) registration from Rs 10 to Rs 20. A similar increase was made in inpatient admission charges, which will now cost Rs 50 instead of Rs 25. Meanwhile, blood test charges have risen from Rs 70 to Rs 120, ward charges will now cost Rs 50 and not Rs 25. The hospital waste management charges saw the steepest hike, rising from Rs 10 to Rs 50.