Punjab asked to remove Chief Minister's photos from ambulances

Union Minister of state for Health and Family Welfare Santosh Chowdhary today asked Punjab government to remove photographs of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from ambulances being run with central funds.
Talking to reporters at nearby Gandhwan village, she said the state government would have to remove the photographs if it wanted to continue availing 20 per cent central funding.
"Due time is being given for compliance of instructions...Photographs are contrary to central norms," she remarked.
"I am waiting for feedback (from the state) and will initiate action only after hearing from it", she asserted.
The minister said all states have been issued guidelines on March 16 against putting politicians' images on ambulances deployed for public service under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

The guidelines made it clear that if these were not adhered to, the Union government would discontinue financial support to them, she said.

The Centre provided 240 air-conditioned ambulances to Punjab in 2011.
Minister also asked the state government to improve infrastructure in hospitals for poor patients, regretting acute shortage of doctors and staff nurses in government hospitals of Punjab.
Defending the promulgation of ordinance on Food Security as historic, she lauded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for it.