Kerala enhances maternity allowance for eligible

Kozhikode, Sep 23 (UNI) The Kerala government will enhance the maternity allowance to Rs 1,400 for eligible women with immediate effect, Health Minister P K Sreemathy today announced.

Talking at a function, after inaugurating super-speciality block of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, here she said the decision was taken as part of the Central directive to hike the allowance for the people below poverty line from Rs 700.

She said the government had prepared a blue-print for a Rs 50 crore development scheme for the medical colleges in the state. The government had also enhanced 100 more seats in the medical colleges and this would be completed during the academic year itself, she added.

Later talking at a press conference she said the government would allocate Rs 20 lakh each to 115 community centres for developmental activities.

The activities would be started by the end of next month, she said.

The government was also contemplating to fill up vacancies of nurses in certain hospitals very soon, she said adding that people below poverty line would be provided with free medicines.

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