Shelve Central Vista, similar projects and use money to improve public health infra: Anand Sharma

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shelve the Central Vista project and the proposed mega central secretariats in 17 state capitals, saying it will be a "criminal waste" of public money in times of a pandemic. He said India should instead invest all this money in filling the "glaring shortcomings" in the public healthcare system.

"Urging PM to shelve the wasteful Central Vista project and proposed mega central secretariats at 17 state capitals. Spending over Rs 25,000 crore on grand buildings at a time of unprecedented national crisis will be a criminal waste of public money," he said on Twitter. The deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha said the country faces a severe resource crunch and is accepting loans from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

"India needs hospitals and commits the resources there," Sharma said. Noting that all Indians are proud of the brave COVID-19 warriors - doctors, healthcare workers, and security personnel, he said the nation stands together to salute them for their commitment to duty and courage.

Sharma said the coronavirus pandemic has exposed glaring shortcomings in India's public healthcare system and a "flawed" insurance-linked private hospital over-dependence. "Shocking that government hospitals have only 30% beds whereas private hospitals have 70% of ICU beds and 80% of ventilators," he said.

It is the less-equipped government hospitals that carry most of the COVID patients' burden, though short of resources, equipment, and PPE gear for health workers, he noted. "It is time for the PM to reflect and revisit public healthcare policy. In the UK, the robust NHS is saving lives including PM Boris Johnson.

"India must urgently invest public money in public healthcare and build well equipped public hospitals. Let the pandemic crisis become an opportunity for course correction. That will be truly celebrating the corona warriors," he said in a series of tweets. His remarks came a day after the central government gave its go-ahead to the Central Vista project.