Odisha shouldn't oppose Ayushman Bharat for mere politics: Pradhan
Bhubaneswar, June 17: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that the Odisha government should not oppose the Ayushman Bharat scheme, popularly known as Modicare, for mere political reasons.
"Odisha government must not oppose the Ayushman Bharat scheme for mere political reasons, which will harm the poor people in the state," he said.
Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, said the decision of the state government to stay away from Ayushman Bharat scheme is "unfortunate" and "anti-people" as over 61 lakh families would benefit under the programme.
He said that the people of Odisha have already realized the inefficiency of the state government led by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
A political controversy has surfaced following the state government's refusal to implement the Centre's flagship health scheme.
The BJD said it has decided to implement Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, which will cover more beneficiaries than the central scheme.
"While Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana is a health assurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat is a health insurance scheme. The state government scheme will benefit 70 lakh families against 61 lakh families in the central scheme," said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb.
Under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, secondary and tertiary cashless healthcare assistance will be provided up to Rs 5 lakh per family per annum. The scheme will come into effect from August 15 this year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
