Will not accept renaming of Ayushman Bharat scheme in Rajasthan: Centre

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also accused the Ashok Gehlot government of failing to implement the Centre sponsored schemes in Rajasthan properly

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said the Centre will not accept the renaming of 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme by the Congress government in Rajasthan.

The jal shakti minister also accused the Ashok Gehlot government of failing to implement the Centre sponsored schemes in the state properly.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme was implemented in Rajasthan from September 1.

However, the Congress government integrated the central scheme with its existing health scheme-- Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana (BSBY) and called it the 'Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Health Insurance Scheme'.

"Unfortunately even today the (Ayushman Bharat) scheme is not implemented in Rajasthan. State government has tried to change its name, but the fundamental part of the scheme is that Centre will not accept any change in its name," Shekhawat told reporters here.

"It is written in the structure of Ayushman Bharat Yojana that the name of this scheme will remain as it is in the entire country. There is neither any person's name nor prime minister's name in it," he added.

"It is an attempt to cheat the people of Rajasthan. Through this, they (Congress leaders) want to do politics here," Shekhawat said.

He further accused the state government of not giving proper data to the Centre about the number of farmers affected due to excessive rainfall.

"This time the crop was destroyed due to excessive rainfall in many areas. The data should be sent to the Centre proactively so that the farmers get the benefit of Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme but to no avail. Due to this, the farmers of Rajasthan are feeling cheated," he alleged.

Shekhawat said that state government's focus was on remaining in power and therefore, it was misleading people by bringing up irrelevant issues.