Imphal: Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh on Friday said his government will introduce a new health scheme for BPL people on January 1.

Speaking to reporters after the Meeyamgi Numit (People's Day) programme, he said the Hakshelgi Tengbang scheme will provide cashless medical insurance up to Rs 2 lakh annually per BPL family. He said five companies participated in the bidding process. The selected company in collaboration with panchayats and local clubs will conduct a joint survey for identifying beneficiaries. He admitted that there have been loopholes in issuing BPL cards in the past so a fresh survey was needed. Camps will begin soon to identify the poorest of the poor, he said.

Biren Singh attended 620 complaints and met 1,500 people at the programme. He said many came requiring medical treatment, financial assistance and jobs.

He said despite launching the Chief Ministergi Shotharabasingi Tengbang scheme for persons with disability recently, several people came here on Friday without any knowledge of the scheme. He said social welfare department officials were deputed to provide scheme forms.

He said a neuro-surgery department will be opened soon at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences. The Infrastructure and machinery have been procured and six nurses are being given special training, he said.

He said organ transplant will be started soon.

Biren Singh also condemned the acid attack on a woman in Imphal East on November 29 and said the government would provide free treatment to the victim. We are also planning to provide job to the victim's kin, he added. He said the case would be heard in a fast-track court.

Biren Singh released a half-yearly bilingual journal, Phijeegi Mani Laktagee (The Hidden Treasure), published by the Relief Centre for the Welfare of Differently-abled Persons, Manipur.