Ambitious Modi healthcare scheme gets red flag
New Delhi: The Modi government has released less than half of the budgeted allocation for health insurance of poor families in fiscal 2017-18, even as it promised to step up coverage with the proposed launch of what is called the world's largest government healthcare programme.
According to a parliamentary panel’s report, the revenue allocation of Rs 975 crore for the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was reduced to Rs 565 crore and, as the year progressed, the actual release was just Rs 450 crore --less than half of the budget estimate.
"Funds as central share of premium under RSBY of approximately Rs 450 crore were only released for such states that submitted their proposal during the year 2017-18," said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its report.
As for the reason for reducing the budgeted allocation, the panel quoted the Department of Health and Family Welfare, saying: "This ministry had moved a proposal for another scheme with enhanced cover of Rs 1 lakh per family.
"However, this proposal is still pending with the cabinet. Therefore, such states that were waiting for the new scheme to be launched did not submit any proposal and meanwhile stopped implementation of RSBY."
The proposed National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), which would subsume RSBY, would cover 10 crore poor and vulnerable families, and the coverage is further enhanced to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
However, the Parliamentary Standing Committee has warned of possible failures.
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Situation in Jharkhand village peaceful day after religious procession 'pelted with stones'
Hazaribag (PTI): The situation in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district remained peaceful on Monday, a day after tension gripped a village following an alleged stone-pelting incident during a religious procession, a senior police officer said.
Barhi subdivisional police officer (SDPO) Ajit Kumar Bimal told PTI that the situation in Jhurjhuri village was brought under control within a few hours of the incident on Sunday evening.
"All shops, markets and business establishments remained open and traffic was normal," he said.
Asked about arrests, Bimal said the process of identifying those involved was underway, and an FIR had been lodged in connection with the incident.
The incident occurred around 8 pm on Sunday, when stones were allegedly thrown at a religious procession. Security was tightened in the area following the incident.
The group that organised the procession claimed several women were injured in the attack.
In response, the participants blocked a stretch of the GT Road. "The situation is now completely under control," the SDPO added.
