Health centre for Naxal-hit Bijapur
Modi to launch components of Ayushman Bharat Scheme on April 14.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch key components of the Centre’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat Scheme during his visit to the Naxal violence-hit Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh on April 14.
Official sources on Thursday said that the Prime Minister will launch the health and wellness centre component of the scheme there.
This newspaper had exclusively reported on April 11 that Mr Modi will launch the scheme in the troubled region. The paper had reported that a wellness centre could be announced for Bijapur.
Apart from this, sources privy to development told this newspaper that a State Bank of India branch will also be opened in Bijapur. The district has long been an epicentre of Naxal violence and in fact earlier this week two security personnel had died in an IED explosion there. Basic amenities in the region are at bare minimum and therefore the Prime Minister’s visit there on the occasion of Dr Ambedkar’s birthday is expected to witness rollout of several sops.
Mr Modi is also visiting Bijapur as it has emerged as the best district by getting the topmost ranking among 115 aspirational districts selected by Centre and states.
In a press conference, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that Bijapur along with Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) and Mewat (Rajasthan) were among the 115 aspirational districts, which have shown noteworthy achievement in the last three months on three parameters — incremental performance, best action plan and best practices.
Mr Modi in January this year had said that he will personally visit the aspirational district, which will show the most noteworthy performance on identified parameters.
Senior government officials of the rank of additional secretary and joint secretary have been designated as officers in-charge to coordinate the efforts of the Centre and states in addressing the specific developmental needs of these districts.
Speaking at the same event, Niti Aayog member V.K. Paul said that under the first pillar of Ayush-man Bharat Scheme, the government will open 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres by 2022.