On eve of 'Ayushman Bharat' roll out, Modi decries Naveen government

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a diatribe against the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha for cold-shouldering ‘Ayushman Bharat’, a centrally sponsored health insurance scheme.

Modi who is set to roll out the scheme on September 23 in Jharkhand was visibly piqued at the Odisha government's decision to snub the initiative which he said could benefit millions in the state.

Addressing a huge rally at Talcher, Modi questioned his audience whether the people of Odisha would not like to avail such a beneficial scheme. "Shouldn't the Odisha government come forward and join the scheme? he asked a rapturous gathering.

Dilating on the benefits of ‘Ayushman Bharat, the Prime Minister said, "The programme will benefit 100 million families. Around 500 million people can profit from the initiative. The number of beneficiaries outstrips the population of US, Canada and Mexico combined. I have known people falling into the debt trap because of medical exigencies. Through this scheme, I want to save such families”.

“Most of the states are connecting with the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Unless your government joins the scheme, I cannot serve you. But Naveen babu doesn't understand," Modi rued, exhorting the chief minister to join the initiative.

Odisha has been in the crosshairs of the Modi led government for rebuffing the health insurance scheme. Instead, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in the state has come up with its own health assurance programme- ‘Biju Swathya Kalyan Yojana’ unveiled on August 15 this year. The state government has fiercely defended its universal health cover scheme, arguing it bettered the Centre’s programme. The ambit of the state government’s programme was wider with seven million families than the 6.1 million envisaged by the Government of India. The scheme, nonetheless, is constrained as beneficiaries could avail treatment only inside the state and at government-run institutions.

Modi pitied the woeful status of healthcare infrastructure in Odisha. But his government was committed to turn things around, he claimed.

“We are setting up five medical colleges. Work on super-speciality hospitals is going on in full swing at Talcher and Sundargarh. Our government has also take up modernisation work of the existing medical colleges at Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla”, he asserted.

Modi visited Talcher to kickstart the commencement of revival work on the gas-based fertilizer plant in Talcher shut since 1999. He exuded confidence that the plant will restart in 36 months and that he will make it to the venue again to dedicate the project to the nation. The Centre was investing Rs 130 billion on the project revival and it would be powered by coal gasification technology, shrinking dependence on imports.

The Prime Minister heaped the blame on former governments for neglecting the revival work of the closed state-run fertiliser units. “The projects were shut during their tenures. They made vacuous political promises but did not show sincere efforts towards revival. Their work was only restricted to files”, Modi said, discrediting the Congress-led coalition governments. “It was only after the BJP led government wrested power that works on the revival of fertiliser plants began in right earnest”, he felt.

Modi took to bashing the Naveen Patnaik government again, cornering it on the hugely popular and subsidised Rs one rice scheme.

“The Centre is contributing Rs 25-30 per kilo for running the subsidised rice scheme in Odisha. Each month, our government provides Rs 4.5 billion to the Odisha government for providing rice to the beneficiaries. But people here are unaware as the state government has passed off the scheme as its own”, Modi said, taking pot shots at the BJD.

The Prime Minister also urged the chief minister to scale up on cleanliness drive. Regretting that Odisha fared poorly in the ‘Swachhata Mission’, Modi felt the state has a lot of catching up to do for closing the gap with other states. “Odisha’s progress is too slow in the Cleanliness Mission. Open defecation is still widespread and enough toilets are yet to be built. The programme needs to be accelerated in the state”, he added.

Modi later addressed another rally at Jharsuguda where he flayed the state government for perpetuating a culture of corruption. “Whether it is housing scheme or construction of toilets, without paying bribe, it is impossible for the poor to get the work done in the Odisha government. People here are taking PC (percentage commissions)”, he said, accusing the BJD government and party workers of being enmeshed in a multitude of scams.

“Corruption and delays in decision making define the identity of the new government”, he said, emphasising the need for a ‘Bade Parivartan’ (Great Change) to fulfil people’s expectations. “Previously, Odisha used to receive Rs 820 billion in five years. But the allocation is now hovering around Rs two trillion”, Modi said after inaugurating the new airport at Jharsuguda.