Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the state government will revisit its health scheme to cover additional ailments under it for the benefit of maximum number of the needy people.

He was speaking at a midnight blood donation camp organised by the Thane unit of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena here. The CM also donated blood at the camp. Shinde said the government will include additional ailments for patients under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule scheme, while some other illnesses which are not relevant will be removed from the scheme, he said. "We want to see that this scheme benefits maximum number of needy persons and those who cannot afford costly treatments," he said.

Shinde also said the chief minister's relief fund "which was closed for two-and-a-half years", has been started and a sum of Rs 11 crore disbursed to more than 1,000 people in the last five months. The CM said the state government and his party, because of their work, have become popular among people in the last five-six months. "We work on the principles and guidelines of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray and (late Sena leader) Anand Dighe," he said.

Shinde became the CM on June 30 last year after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed. At the camp, Shinde also lauded a physically challenged man who had donated blood 121 times in 25 states.