Odisha largely free from caste, religion resonance in electoral politics
Caste calculation, religious affiliation has never emerged as a tool to woo voters.
The crime branch wing of the Odisha Police has taken up the investigation of the Biju Swasthya Kalyna Yojana (BSKY) health card fraud, a week after the Cuttack Urban Police arrested five persons including owner of a private hospital on the charge of embezzling the BSKY card funds by taking for ride gullible residents of Bayalish Mouza area.
“The crime branch has taken over the investigation of Bentkara (Bayalish Mouza, Cuttack) PS case No.10 Dt-09.01.2023 U/S-418/420 IPC on the order of DGP Odisha corresponding to CID CB PS Case No:- 01, Dt 17.01.23, U/S- 418/420 IPC and Narendra Ku Behera Deputy Superintendent of Police is investigating into the case,” the crime branch said in a statement on Thursday.
A crime branch team has assumed charge of the investigation. The court will be requested for police remand of all the five Under Trial Prisoners, it added.
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The authorities and staff of the private hospital ‘South Point’ Private Hospital in collusion with brokers withdrew several lakhs of rupees by generating fictitious and false bills without the required hospitalization of patients. The ‘gullible’ card holders were given the impression that their cards will be renewed and they were handed out Rs 2,000 each by the unscrupulous staff of the hospital. The accused took their finger print through biometric, swap BSKY card and prepare false bills and pocketed lakhs of rupees from the balance money of the cards, CB said.
The families having smart BSKY cards and those enrolled under food security schemes are entitled to get the benefits of the healthcare scheme.
Meanwhile, the state government has directed the collectors and district magistrates of all districts to take stringent action if any fraud is detected over extending benefits under the healthcare scheme to the people. The Cuttack-based private hospital which perpetrated the fraud has also been de-empanelled, said officials.
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