Gandhinagar: Gujarat Govt  is going to introduce a bill in the State assembly in attempt to improve infrastructure for cancer and drug addiction treatment with the introduction of a new bill to establish a dedicated fund. The Gujarat State Cancer and Drug Addiction Treatment Infrastructure Fund Bill, 2025, proposes the creation of a fund to support the development of facilities for the treatment of individuals affected by cancer and drug addiction.

The bill outlines the establishment of the Gujarat State Cancer and Drug Addiction Treatment Infrastructure Fund Board, which will be responsible for implementing the provisions of the act. The primary objective of the fund is to support the creation and enhancement of infrastructure, including buildings, machinery, and equipment, for the treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients and drug addicts.

The fund will be utilized for various purposes, including:

• Creating and developing infrastructure for the treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients and for de-addicting drug addicts.

• Raising awareness, promoting research, and improving treatment related to cancer.

• Increasing awareness about the adverse effects of drugs, drug addiction, and drug addiction treatment opportunities.

• Promoting the welfare of cancer patients and drug addicts in the state, as determined by the board.

Contributions to the fund will come from various sources, including:

• A certain percentage of revenue collected by societies and trusts established by state government departments, excluding grants received from the state or central government.

• Grants or contributions from the Gujarat government, state public sector units, boards, corporations, top cooperative societies, urban local bodies, improvement trusts, and Panchayati Raj institutions.

• A certain percentage of funds collected from infrastructure development projects with a value exceeding fifty crore rupees, such as those undertaken by the State Construction Department, Mandi Board, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board, and Gujarat Road and Bridge Development Board.

• Other contributions as determined from time to time.

The fund will be administered by the board, and the accounts of the fund will be audited by the Examiner, Local Fund Accounts, Gujarat. The legislation also includes provisions to protect actions taken in good faith under the act or its rules, and it empowers the state government to make rules for carrying out the purposes of the act. In case of any difficulties in implementing the act’s provisions, the state government is authorized to make provisions, including amendments or modifications to any provision of the act, to remove the difficulty, provided that no such order can be made after two years from the commencement of the act. The provisions of this act will be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other laws in force at the time, such as the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, the Gujarat Municipalities Act, the Gujarat Panchayats Act, the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets Act, or any other relevant law.