New Delhi: Tata Trusts signed a pact with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for setting up a cancer centre in Tirupati to address increasing cases in the region.

"Given the rising cancer burden in the region, Tata Trusts has joined hands with TTD to address this concern by bringing affordable cancer care closer home to the people of the region," Tata Trusts and TTD said in a joint statement.

The centre will strive to provide care to the patients without denying it to those with financial constraints, it added. It will be constructed on 25 acres of land provided by the TTD, the statement said.

As per the MoU, Tata Trusts will set up a project management vehicle that will be responsible for all aspects of construction, execution and operationalisation of the facility.

The Trusts will also rope in a team of experts from Tata Medical Center, Kolkata and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai to provide technical assistance to the project, it added.

Tata Trusts Managing Trustee R Venkataramanan said: "Our aim is to ensure the provision of equitable, affordable, high quality cancer care for the masses. We are positive that this centre will be a landmark institution in this part of the country". TTD is happy to welcome an institution like Tata Trusts to work on this pressing issue of rising cancer prevalence in the region, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive officer Sambasiva Rao said.

The centre to begin with will address the increasing numbers of cancer cases in the region and will evolve to become a centre of excellence in oncology education and research as well, the statement said.

"Today is another important milestone where the Tata Group and primarily the Tata Trusts are embarking on another important project? a charitable state-of-the-art cancer hospital, which will help patients in Tirupati and outside", Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said. "We have worked together with them to make the pilgrim experience better through technology," he added. The proposed facility will be a comprehensive centre, with in and out-patient facilities, diagnostics, therapeutics, rehabilitation and other such support services.