National status for the Regional Cancer Centre still remains a dream even as the institute has got Rs 120 crore from the Centre government for upgrading it into the status of a state cancer institute. It is more than two years that the proposal has been pending with the Centre government for elevating the RCC to a national cancer institute status.
With a new government at the Centre, the state government is sceptical of getting the national status. Though the officials point out that proposal has not been shelved, they said that the planning commission has for the time being rejected the proposal because of certain finacial crisis. There was a proposal for three such institutes in the country – one in Delhi, Eastern region and southern region. Though the proposal for Delhi has been approved, the two others are still pending.
Health Minister V S Shivakumar said that he would take up the issue with the new Health Minister at the Centre. ''It was the Centre Government's policy to accord National Status to Regional Cancer Centres. We will have to see what the new government thinks about it,'' he said.
Noting that the Centre government has allotted Rs 120 crore for RCC to upgrade it into the status of state cancer institute, Shivakumr said that the State status will be a stepping stone to the National Status for the institute. ''Once the works for the state status is complete, we would look for a national status,'' he said.
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