category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday held a high-level meeting with deputy commissioners of all districts to review implementation of various citizen-centric schemes. Mann also expressed satisfaction that most districts are performing well in implementing an ambitious scheme that aims to provide 43 citizen-centric services at people s doorsteps.According to an official statement, Mann said 664 Aam Aadmi Clinics are functional in the state and about 98 lakh people have so far availed of its services. Medicines costing Rs 40.50 crore have been provided for free to patients. Lab tests worth Rs 5.77 crore have also been conducted free of cost. Mann said 150 new Aam Aadmi Clinics will soon be dedicated to the people and all arrangements have been made for it. He reiterated that the Punjab government has decided all medicines prescribed in state-run hospitals will be made available to patients on the premises. Mann mentioned that 276 medicines have already been included in the State Essential Drugs List at district and subdivisional hospitals. He later told reporters that when any patient goes to a government hospital, the medicine prescribed will be available within that compound. If the medicine is not available for some reason, the hospital or doctor concerned will make arrangements to procure it, the chief minister said. On the issue of the Rural Development Fund, Mann reiterated that the Centre withheld more than Rs 4,000 crore, saying the state government has already approached the Supreme Court and the matter will come up for hearing next week. The people of Punjab should not be made to pay if previous governments misused funds, Mann said and added that the Centre should have released the money that could be utilised for development projects. According to the statement, Mann also said the state government will open 13 new Schools of Eminence in Amritsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar and Tarn Taran districts. He asked the deputy commissioners of the districts concerned to ensure that these schools are operational in time to benefit the students. The deputy commissioners were also asked to ensure boundary walls, toilets, furniture, drinking water, Internet WiFi facility and campus managers in all schools by March 31. Mann directed the deputy commissioners to hold regular meetings of the District Education Development Committee, besides making surprise inspections of schools. He underscored the need for ensuring implementation of standard operating procedures on hazardous trees and unsafe buildings on school campuses. The chief minister also announced that the state government has launched a Farishtey scheme, which envisages immediate and hassle-free treatment to accident victims in both public and empanelled private hospitals. Fifty-two packages have been identified and 495 hospitals empanelled across the state under the scheme. The state government has also taken steps to ensure that canal water reaches the tail end of every village, Mann said and asked the deputy commissioners to complete the process so that the farmers can benefit. (editor dailyworld.in)