Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on May 31 urged West Bengal government 'to rise above politics' on the issue of commissioning welfare projects for the poor and claimed that not a single resident of the State has got the benefit of Centre's Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
Mr. Vaishnaw, who was speaking at the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' in Kolkata as part of similar meets across the country, also said that majority of the farmers of the State are yet to get the benefits PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
"Why has Ayushman Bharat Yojana not been implemented till now in Bengal? Why are most of the poor farmers of the State not getting the money channelled into their Jandhan accounts despite being eligible? The West Bengal government owes an explanation on these issues," Mr. Vaishnaw said.
"There can be different governments in different States ruled by different political parties. But that should not come in the way of improving the condition of the poor and needy. We are all Indians, there should not be any division," he said.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a national public health insurance fund of the Government of India that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for low income earners in the country. It aims to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families, approximately 50 crore beneficiaries, providing coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. Beneficiary Sates have to bear 40% of the expense for it.
The scheme is yet to be implemented in West Bengal, which had officially launched its smart card based 'Swasthya Sathi' scheme in December, 2016. The 'Swasthya Sathi' scheme is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to ₹5 lakh per annum per family and covers all pre-existing diseases.
The entire premium is borne by the West Bengal government and no contribution is taken from the beneficiary. There is no cap on the family size and parents of both the spouse and all dependent physically challenged persons in the family are covered under the scheme.
The Railway Minister said while 30 crore families has been provided affordable housing units in the country under the PM Awas Yojana, in West Bengal only 42 lakh were allotted houses under the project.
He asked those who have not got the benefit of the project to take up the matter with the State. "Please protest if you are deprived." He claimed that Mr. Modi always supported West Bengal and had sanctioned ₹3,700 crore for relief after Cyclone Amphan.
Coming to the Railways allocation in the State, he said the Centre had allotted a record ₹10,000 crore for railway projects in West Bengal. "If the State government makes land available, we will fastrack the projects," he added. The PM addressed the gathering virtually from Shimla as similar programmes were held across the country.
Mr. Vaishnaw later told reporters that Railways will undertake a feasibility study for introducing a goods train with refrigerated coaches to carry perishable food items like fish and meat. "We will have to first undertake a feasibility study on whether there can be refrigerated service to carry fish and similar products. We will decide on the study in two months' time," he added.
Asked to comment on the repeated assertions by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Centre is renaming West Bengal's projects as its own and withholding the State's dues, Mr. Vaishnaw said "While I contest such claims, I would again request the State to work in synergy with Centre and rise above politics for quick execution of welfare projects which will benefit the people of the State."
State Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who was also present at the programme, said while 73,000 farmers in the State were eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, West Bengal has sent names of only 30,000 as beneficiaries. "The State is depriving its own people from the Central project," he claimed.
