Lucknow, Aug. 9 -- In move that could find ready support across party lines, the Yogi Adityanath government is weighing a major relaxation in the rules governing the use of Vidhayak Nidhi (MLAs Local Area Development Fund) for medical expenses to poor patients, including a proposal to double the total annual ceiling for such assistance from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. The proposed changes could give MLAs and MLCs greater flexibility in helping poor patients with serious and life-threatening ailments when it is needed urgently. "The state government is examining four key proposals, including doing away with the existing disease-wise restrictions and allowing beneficiaries to receive assistance from both the chief minister's Discretionary Fund and Vidhayak Nidhi," a senior official dealing with the matter disclosed. The CM's office, according to him, has sought a definite view from the rural development department on all the four proposals, indicating that the government wants to take an early decision on the matter. Sanjay Prasad, additional chief secretary to the CM, wrote to his counterpart in the rural development department, seeking a categorical opinion on the proposals at the earliest. The latter was subsequently forwarded to the commissioner, rural development for examination. "We are examining the issues before we send a definite opinion to the government," a senior rural development department official said. The proposal to raise the medical assistance ceiling from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh is to be particularly significant for legislators. At present, an MLA/MLC can spend a maximum of Rs 25 lakh a year from the Vidhayak Nidhi to provide financial assistance for the treatment of poor patients suffering from any of the listed diseases. The government is also considering doing away with the classification of diseases eligible for assistance. Under the existing rules, assistance from Vidhayak Nidhi is available for specified ailments including heart-related diseases and cardiac surgery, cancer, urinary diseases, orthopedic diseases and thalassemia. Another proposal seeks to remove the district-level panel comprising the CMO and other officials, which currently examines applications and recommends the amount of assistance required by poor patients. The panel mechanism has been cited as a source of delay with recommendations in most cases taking months to be finalised even as patients need immediate treatment. The fourth proposal relates to the restriction on receiving assistance from both Vidhayak Nidhi and the CM's Discretionary Fund. The government, according to officials, is examining a proposal to remove this restriction allowing poor patients to access assistance from both the funds the cost of treatment required additional support. At present, an MLA or MLC can provide up to Rs 5 lakh to an eligible poor patient, subject to prescribed conditions, including the incoming ceiling. The total amount that a legislator can spend from his Vidhayak Nidhi on medical assistance is capped at Rs 25 lakh annually. The issue has also emerged as a major demand before the 11-member committee headed by the UP assembly speaker Satish Mahana. The committee is examining legislators' various demands concerning utilization of the Vidhayak Nidhi. The demand for increasing the Rs 25 lakh ceiling figured prominently at the committee's first meeting on August 1....