Guwahati: The Assam government and Tata Trusts set forth on their joint initiative of establishing a comprehensive cancer-care network in the state with the unveiling of the foundation stones of 19 facilities on Monday.

The foundation stones were unveiled by Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata and BJP national president Amit Shah at the Khanapara playground here.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the centres will become operational in two years.

Of the 19 facilities, 12 will be comprehensive cancer-care centres established on the premises of government medical colleges (existing, under-construction or proposed). Located at Barpeta, Dhubri, Diphu, Jorhat, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Silchar, Tezpur and Tinsukia, they will offer diagnosis and treatment of cancer cases.

Another five will be adjacent to district hospitals. Located at Darrang, Goalpara, Golaghat, Haflong and Sivasagar, they will offer diagnostic and day care services, including chemotherapy.

Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, will be upgraded to an apex cancer centre with education and public health research capabilities.

The State Cancer Institute (SCI) in Guwahati will be expanded to a 500-bed South Asia Research Centre.

Bhoomi pujan (land worship) was performed at all the sites where the centres will come up. In Dhubri, it was held on the Dhubri civil hospital campus. It was also held at Hukan Phukri in Tinsukia, Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh and Bhalukdubi civil hospital in Goalpara.

Tata said, "Cancer care in India is hindered by a lack of facilities, late diagnosis and high cost of treatment. The Tata Trusts have resolved to tackle this by supporting the establishment of infrastructure across the country for high quality affordable care, nationwide screening and early detection programmes. Together with partners if we can achieve this, India will be able to dramatically increase survival rates as in the developed countries. I am happy that we are able to join hands with the Assam government to achieve this transformation in the state and the region."

Shah described the programme as the biggest initiative in the healthcare sector of Assam since Independence.

He said the government is laying emphasis on improving road, rail and IT connectivity in the region and that the 14th Finance Commission has allotted far more funds to Assam compared to the previous ones. He suggested that the programme be extended to other northeastern states.

Sonowal said the initiative aimed at providing cancer care to the marginalised sections of society.

He thanked Tata Trusts and Ratan Tata on behalf of the people of Assam for the "great and philanthropist" initiative.

"This initiative will benefit not only the people of the state but across the Northeast, especially the underprivileged," he said.

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu, who attended the ceremony, requested Tata, to set up cancer hospitals in his state, which, he said, was recording a very high rate of cancer cases.

"Our patients go all the way to Tata Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Institute in Mumbai, incurring huge expenditure. If such centres come up in Arunachal, it will be of much respite to the people," Khandu said, according to an official release.

Tata in principal agreed to set up two specialty cancer centres in Arunachal.

He also agreed to visit the state soon to finalise the project.