E-Paper
Punjab withdraws support to Centre’s Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra
Asks civil surgeons to stop outreach activities; move comes after Centre didn’t release funds under NHM due to state’s non-compliance with Ayushman Bharat.
Punjab National Health Mission (PNHM), in a fresh order issued on Monday, has directed all the civil surgeons in the state to stop the planned outreach activities under the Union government’s ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ (VBSY) in the state.
This comes amid the backdrop of the Centre not releasing ₹402.48 crore under the National Health Mission (NHM) to Punjab due to the state’s non-compliance with branding guidelines for Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres.
“Punjab has branded the centres as Aam Aadmi Clinic (AAC) instead of Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centre (now, Ayushman Arogya Mandir), thereby violating the provisions of the pact signed between the Union health ministry and the state,” minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar had said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha in December last year. The state has also not followed the colour scheme nor has displayed the six logos, she said, responding to a question on the reasons behind not releasing ₹621 crore to Punjab under the NHM.
“For the financial year 2023-24, under NHM, central share allocation is ₹457.90 crores. Central share released till date is ₹51.11 crores and central share to be released is ₹402.48 crores which has not been released due to non-compliance of DoE guidelines and non-adherence to clauses of MoU signed between Centre and State for NHM,” Pawar stated.
Withdrawing its earlier order of extending help to VBSY, the NHM-Punjab, in a fresh order issued on Monday has directed all the civil surgeons to stop the planned outreach activities. A copy of the order is with HT.
Confirming the development, SP Singh, director, NHM-Punjab, said, “We had earlier issued the guidelines related to the implementation of VBSY in the state – which has been withdrawn.”
Singh said he is not authorised to speak on the reasons behind the withdrawal of support to VBSY and said, “Only senior government officials would be able to provide an answer to it.”
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November last year, the VBSY is a massive outreach programme with a focus on raising awareness and facilitating the delivery of welfare schemes benefits to all the gram panchayats of the country. The outreach programme will culminate on January 25, 2024.
There were two schemes — Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)-scheme and the National TB Elimination Programme — that were identified by the ministry of health and family welfare, for the demonstration during this yatra.
Besides all this, the health camps were being conducted at all locations whereby the mobile vans, around 480, across Punjab, were being used for awareness.
Despite repeated attempts Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh could not be contacted for comments.
