Bhubaneswar: June 18: Allegation and counter-allegation began in Odisha’s Political scenario following the state government’s refusal to implement the Centre’s flagship health scheme, Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission. Rather, state government has announced its own health insurance scheme Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).
State has claimed that, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is a better health insurance scheme than centre’s Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission.
On the otherside, the opposition BJP alleged that the BJD government was trying to ‘hijack the central schemes and deny the people of their health service rights’.
In a Press conference here at Bhubaneswar, BJD has refuted BJP’s allegations that Odisha Government is hijacking schemes of the Central Government and claimed that the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) announced by the State Government is different from Ayushman scheme of the Centre.
Rajya Sabha Member and BJD spokesperson Pratap Dev said, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) has been launched by State Government as per the promise made by BJD in its 2014 election manifesto to provide an universal health scheme’.
The Centre was yet to announce the date of the implementation of its scheme but the state has already decided to implement the yojana from August 15 and the entire cost would be borne by the state government, said BJD Leader.
Ayushman is an insurance-based scheme with the Centre contributing 60 per cent and the State Government 40 per cent of the funds. But, if cost to be incurred for selection of beneficiaries, then the state government’s contribution will go up and reach at 50 percent, said BJD spokesperson.
Also, BJD leader claimed, as Ayushman scheme will be implemented on the basis of 2011 socio-economic caste census (SECC), many people of the State will not get any benefit from the scheme.
In the Ayushaman scheme, 48 lakh families will get benefit from the scheme and later, it will be extended to cover 61 lakh families of the State. But BSKY will directly benefit 70 lakh families of Odisha, Deb said. Selection of beneficiaries of Ayushman scheme in urban areas basing on profession will deprive 90 per cent of people of the benefits of the scheme, Dev claimed.
