New Delhi, (Samajweekly) In the countdown to the West Bengal elections, the BJP has targeted the extension of the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme, one of the pet projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP has said that instead of implementing a foolproof central government scheme such as Ayushman Bharat, the state government is running a scheme which is just benefiting a gang of people perceived to be close to the ruling party.
The saffron party also termed the Mamata Banerjee government as a ‘renaming government.’ This is happening at a time when a health insurance scheme called Ayushman Bharat is being implemented on behalf of the Modi government for free treatment up to five lakh rupees for people from economically weaker sections. The central scheme targets at benefiting about 50 crore people of the country.
But in West Bengal the Trinamool government has implemented its separate scheme instead of implementing the centre’s scheme.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not implemented Ayushman Bharat in the state, questioning the 60:40 funds ratio. Banerjee says that if the Centre will give just 60 per cent of the funds, what about the rest of 40 per cent? She says 100% of the expenditure under the Swasthya Sathi scheme is being borne by the state government. The Mamata Banerjee government has now widened the scope of the scheme that has been running for the last three years. Beginning December 1, 2020 she has decided to extend its benefits to every person, family, the elderly, children and women in West Bengal. Earlier, the scheme was applicable to just 7.5 crore people of the state. No wonder the BJP has targeted it.
BJP state vice president Ritesh Tiwari told IANS, “How did Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suddenly remember to expand the Swasthya Sathi scheme so close to the elections? This means that the health system in the state hospitals has become dilapidated. The Ayushman Bharat Scheme of the central government is omnipresent, with no scope for any malpractice. In all states of the country, people are getting treatment in a proper manner under the scheme. At the same time the Swasthya Sathi scheme scheme of the Mamata government is flawed. Many big hospitals in Bengal are not covered under this. The people of Bengal are not getting treatment at hospitals. The scheme has been launched to benefit the gang of people who are close to the ruling party,” said Tiwari.
