Chandigarh, Dec 23 (IANS): Patients suffering from stage III and IV of cancer will now start getting a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 in Haryana for which a budgetary provision of Rs 68.42 crore has been made by the government, officials said on Friday.

Earlier, Tripura was the only state in the country that has been giving monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to stage III cancer patients.

It was in May this year when Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while meeting with families of cancer patients, had assured them that the state would extend every possible help to them.

He had informed them that this assistance would be given to those patients whose family's annual income is up to Rs 3 lakh.

To ensure that the actual beneficiaries get the scheme benefit, the income verification of such patients would be matched with Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP).

The patients will get the benefits till they are alive. Documents verified by the committee of the Civil Surgeon Office will have to be uploaded through Saral Kendra.