Chandigarh, Jun 6 (IANS): The Punjab government Sunday announced the setting up of the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund to provide financial help up to Rs.150,000 to cancer patients in the state, a minister said here.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Satpal Gosain said that the fund was being set up to help the needy cancer patients.

Under the scheme, cancer patients will be entitled to seek financial help of Rs.150,000 for treatment of the disease.

Gosain said that all requests for aid would be scrutinised by a committee consisting of the chief minister, health minister and principal secretary, health.

The minister said that this fund would run from government corpus and voluntary financial contribution by private individuals.

Giving the details of the fund, Gosain said that applicant would have to apply with an estimate of expenditure to be incurred on the treatment. He said that after sanction of the fund from committee, money would be transferred directly to the hospital by cheque or draft.

The health minister said that Punjab government was committed to provide latest facilities for the treatment of cancer and two ultra-modern cancer hospitals were being constructed at Mohali and Bathinda at a cost of Rs.200 crore.

The Malwa belt in southwest Punjab is particularly hit by cancer cases in the last few years owing to the widespread contamination of ground water. Experts say that the extensive use of pesticides could have led to the contamination of water.