The Centre Monday urged the Odisha government to become a part of the Ayushman Bharat, saying the flagship health insurance scheme launched last month would remain incomplete if it did not do so.
Odisha is yet to join the central health scheme.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had rejected the Centre's proposal to join the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission and launched its own health scheme called the 'Biju Swastha Kalyan Yojana' to cover about 3.5 crore people of nearly 70 lakh families.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashiwni Kumar Choubey, who was here for the inauguration of the Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital said, "Unless Odisha became part of the Ayushman Bharat, the programme would remain incomplete. Therefore, I urged the Odisha government to accept it."