Harsimrat Badal lambaste Congress government for failing to provide its much-hyped health cover to people
Chandigarh: Union Food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday lambasted the Congress government for failing to provide its much-hyped health cover to the people after refusing to implement the centrally sponsored health insurance scheme - Pradhanmantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) on the pretext of providing an equally beneficial scheme to the state, the so-called Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna. In a statement, Mrs. Harsimrat Badal said Punjab health minister should apologize to Punjabis for deceiving them with fake assurances of implementing the State health insurance scheme from July 1, 2019. “Making fake promises and reneging on them has become a trademark of the Captain Amarinder Singh government. They never walk their talk. Punjabis should not trust Congress ministers anymore”. Divulging details of the Congress government’s doublespeak over the issue of a health cover, Mrs. Badal said when the centrally sponsored health insurance scheme, PMJAY is also known as Ayushman Bharat was implemented across India, the Congress government had refused to it implement in Punjab. The government’s contention was that it would implement a much wider health insurance scheme of its own as it had promised insurance for all under the universal health scheme in its manifesto. “But that day never came. Its ministers have been befooling the people with fake promises for over two years, a practiced tactic used by the Congress party during the 2017 assembly polls” she added. Stating that Punjab turned into an anti-welfare state the day the Congress took over reins of the state, the union minister said all welfare schemes initiated by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government under the leadership of Sardar Parkash Singh Badal had either been stopped or slowed down by the Congress government. “Congress Government’s coffers turn dry when it comes to implementing the welfare schemes for the underprivileged and poor of the state. Also Read: Sukhbir Badal dares Cong govt to prove he recommended pardon to killer cops It has stopped all schemes, be it Atta-Dal, Shagun or old age pension scheme over the same excuse- shortage of funds” she said adding that the Congress government had refused to share the burden of the central government sponsored scheme, for which it needed to shell out Rs.65 crore only. Instead, it chose to go with its own insurance scheme costing it around Rs. 220 crores. “As it has emerged that the Congress government did not have the intent or the money to provide free health cover. It should not have played a cruel joke on the people by promising them the same”, Mrs. Badal added. EOM -PTC News
