Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra: After Punjab withdraws support, Centre deputes officials from FCI, Postal Dept

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, January 13

After the AAP government withdrew its support to the Centre’s Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the state, the Union Government has involved staff of various central departments, including the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and the Department of Posts for making arrangements at camps.

Governor visits camp

• During a visit of Governor Banwarilal Purohit to Bharthala village in Nawanshahr on Friday, officials concerned gave feedback related to the yatra
• As officials of the state government were also present on the spot, Purohit asked officials concerned to work in the interest of the masses

However, it’s not easy for the central officials as their counterparts in the Health and Local Bodies Department give it a miss.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials of the central departments said, “We can only ensure gathering of people. Though we are collecting data of applicants seeking benefits under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, we cannot enrol them due to the absence of officials from the Health Department, Punjab, and the MC staff. As they are the nodal departments, only they can enrol them.”

Most senior officials had stated that they were caught up in a fight between the Centre and the state over the yatra. “A senior IAS/IRS official having a rank of the Joint Secretary, GoI, is working as an overall incharge of the yatra and coordinates with us. We cannot ignore his directions,” said officials concerned.

Former Chief Parliamentary Secretary and BJP leader KD Bhandari, said, “The health check-up camps organised by the staff of the National Health Mission was a big draw, but the state government withdrew them from these camps. We have urged the GOI’s official overseeing the camps to arrange health teams from the PGI or other Centre-run health institutes.”

He said the schedule of camps also got disrupted due to sudden withdrawal of support of the state government.

Bhandari said beneficiaries were being provided free ration under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and LPG burners under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. He said as bank officials had been roped in, loans were also being extended to the needy.

Former BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia said the AAP government was feeling insecure unnecessarily. “It makes no sense to stop central schemes from reaching the masses,” he said.