Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government and Tata Trusts will spend Rs 1,000 crore to implement cancer care programme in the state in next five years.

This was decided on Monday at the first advisory committee meeting on the programme to be jointly implemented by the Odisha government and Tata Trusts, who will share the cost on 50:50 ratio basis.

Under this three-phase programme, a state-of-the-art cancer treatment and research centre will be set up in Bhubaneswar on the lines of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.

The Odisha government will facilitate and contribute in setting up the centre in Bhubaneswar by providing 25 acres free of cost.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Tata Trusts chairman Ratan N. Tata announced establishment of the cancer project as a joint venture on May 6.

An MoU was also inked on that day by Odisha health secretary P.K. Meherda and managing trustee of Tata Trusts R. Venkatramanan. Under the health care programme, the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Research Centre in Cuttack will be developed as an apex centre.

The Odisha government has agreed to fund the operational expenses of all the facilities established under the cancer care programme and extend full support in the treatment of poor and needy patients.

It has also been decided that a joint venture company will also be set up with the Odisha government and Tata Trusts as stakeholders to execute the project.

According to the agreement, an advisory committee has been set up headed by the Odisha chief secretary.

The Odisha government has already initiated proactive measures in providing free cancer services in the state, including infrastructure development of the headquarters hospitals in all the 30 districts in Odisha, especially for screening and early detection of the disease.