Rail minister asks WB govt to rise above politics

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Tuesday urged West Bengal government to rise above politics on the issue of commissioning welfare projects for the poor and claimed that not a single resident of the state has got the benefit of Centres Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Tuesday urged West Bengal government 'to rise above politics' on the issue of commissioning welfare projects for the poor and claimed that not a single resident of the state has got the benefit of Centre's Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Vaishnaw, who was speaking at the 'Garib Kalyan Sammelan' here as part of similar meets across the country, also said that majority of the farmers of the state are yet to get the benefits PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. ''Why has Ayushman Bharat Yojana not been implemented till now in Bengal? Why are most of the poor farmers of the state not getting the money channeled into their Jandhan accounts despite being eligible? The West Bengal government owes an explanation on these issues,'' Vaishnaw said. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a national public health insurance fund of the Government of India for low income earners providing coverage of upto Rs five lakh per family per year for hospitalization. Beneficiary states have to bear 40 per cent of the expense for it. The West Bengal government has not implemented it and has iunstead launched its own heath insurance 'Swasthya Sathi' which provides the same amount for hospitalisation per family but covering all pre-existing diseases. Unlike the central scheme the entire premium is borne by the West Bengal government and no contribution is taken from the beneficiary. The union minister said, ''There can be different governments in different states ruled by different political parties. But that should not come in the way of improving the condition of the poor and needy. We are all Indians, there should not be any division''. He said while 30 crore families has been provided affordable housing units in the country under the PM Awas Yojana, in Bengal only 42 lakh were allotted houses under the project. He asked those who have not got the benefit of the project to take up the matter with the state. ''Please protest if you are deprived.'' Vaishnaw claimed that Modi always supported Bengal and had sanctioned Rs 3700 crore for relief after Cyclone Amphan. Coming to the Railways allocation in the state, he said the Centre had alloted a record Rs 10000 crore for railway projects in Bengal. ''If the state government makes land available, we will fastrack the projects,'' he added. The PM addressed the gathering virtually from Shimla as similar programmes were held across the country. Vaishnaw later told reporters that Railways will undertake a feasibility study for introducing a goods train with refrigerated coaches to carry perishable food items like fish and meat.

''We will have to first undertake a feasibility study on whether there can be refrigerated service to carry fish and similar products. We will decide on the study in two months' time,'' he added. Asked to comment on the repeated assertions by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Centre is renaming West Bengal's projects as its own and withholding the state's dues, Vaishnaw said ''While I contest such claims, I would again request the state to work in synergy with Centre and rise above politics for quick execution of welfare projects which will benefit the people of the state.'' State Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who was also present at the programme, said while 73,000 farmers in the state were eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, West Bengal has sent names of only 30,000 as beneficiaries. ''The state is depriving its own people from the central project,'' he claimed.

Reacting to Vaishnaw's comments, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said the railway minister should focus on his own ministry as ''From platforms to coches to railway stations, everything is being sold to private players. The prices of tickets are increasing. Concession for senior citizens and students have been abolished by the present government.'' About Adhikari's charges, Sen reminded that the project Indira Awas Yojana was changed to PM Awas Yojana by Modi himself. ''Why doesn't he have an issue with the name of UP Awas Yojana ?'' he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)