BJP-ruled states are not prepared, PM Modi unhappy

New Delhi: With the NDA Government all set to launch its ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme on September 25, which envisages health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh to 10 crore rural poor annually who are outside the insurance net, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed unhappiness over inadequate preparations on part of ironically several BJP-led states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar towards implementation of the flagship project.

Also, as several Opposition-ruled states like Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Telangana, Kerala and Delhi have not yet come on board towards participating in the scheme, the Prime Minister has urged them to cooperate and become part of it.

In a high level review meeting, which the Prime Minister recently undertook to oversee the preparations of the scheme’s launch on Jan Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s birth anniversary, he asked top officials of state government of poll-bound Rajasthan, as well as those of Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar (where the BJP is in alliance with the JDU) and J&K (which is currently under President’s Rule, but where for more than two years the BJP ran a coalition government with the PDP) to make extra efforts to ensure that the scheme takes off effectively in their respective states.

Highly placed sources said that the Prime Minister was disappointed with the fact that the aforementioned BJP and its allies ruled states have not made proper preparations towards implementation of the NDA government’s flagship scheme even though only a few days are left for its official launch.

He is learnt to have asked the chief secretaries of these states during the meeting that they need to take extra measures to implement scheme.

Mr Modi also asked officials from Opposition-ruled states to expedite the process of signing pacts with the Centre as soon as possible, so that Ayushman Bharat can take off.

Under Ayushman Bharat, the Union health ministry plans to hire Ayushman Mitras, who will help in identifying beneficiaries for the scheme. Sources said that these ‘Mitras’ are to be selected from hospitals’ own staff.

The Prime Minister, sources added, emphasised on this aspect and is learnt to have directed health ministry officials to ensure that Ayushman Mitras are selected from hospitals’ staff only.

He is also learnt to have asked the ministry as well states’ officials to streamline and expedite all aspects related to Ayushman Bharat like selecting health agencies in states, identification of beneficiaries as well as empanelment of hospitals and identification as well as training of Ayushman Mitras.

In his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister had announced that Ayushman Bharat scheme would be launched on September 25 this year.

The scheme will target poor, deprived rural families and identify occupational category of urban workers’ families, 8.03 crore in rural and 2.33 crore in urban areas, as per the latest SECC data. It will cover around 50 crore people. The Centre has allocated about Rs 10,000 crore for the project.