BJP’s Kanad Purkayastha and AGP’s Birendra Baishya elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Assam
BJP leader Kanad Purkayastha and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) stalwart Birendra Prasad Baishya were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Tuesday that there is a need to avoid the narrative that there is no budget allocation for the health sector and emphasised utilisation of Central funds by states to improve health infrastructure.
The Health Minister said this in a reply in Rajya Sabha after Congress MP Rajeev Shukla alleged shortage of funds for the health sector.
Advertisement
“I would like to request the members that this narrative should not be spun that there is no budget allocation for the health sector,” he said in the House.
Advertisement
Nadda said that the state’s system has to be improved so that they implement programmes in time.
“The state’s system has to be improved so that they could implement the programmes in time. The utilisation certificate is most important. The moment you utilise we will give you the funds,” the Health Minister said.
Pointing the poor utilisation of Central health funds by states, he said under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) Rs 64,180 crore were sanctioned, but the states managed to utilise only Rs 20,000 crore.
He also informed that under the 15th Finance Commission Rs 70,000 crore were sanctioned to states but only Rs 27,000 crore were released as utilisation certificates were not submitted.
Earlier, CPI(M) AA Rahim said, “For the financial year 2023-24, Rs 1376.70 crore was allotted to Kerala under the National Health Mission (NHM) of which Rs 826.68 crore was the Union government’s share. However, Rs 636.88 crore of this amount has not been released to Kerala.”
In response, Nadda said, “Under the 2017 Health Policy, we have enunciated that we will provide equitable, affordable and quality healthcare. For that, what we have tried to do is to see to it that the CHC, the sub-health centre and PHC are being made as Ayushman Arogya Mandir. There are guidelines for it.”
“We have requested the Kerala government to follow those guidelines. The moment the guidelines are followed, the funding will be released accordingly,” he added.
Advertisement
