Odisha: Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana white paper demanded by the BJP

In a sharp criticism of BJD and the state government on Friday, the BJP requested a white paper detailing the number of patients who had benefited from the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) after receiving treatment in private hospitals.

Manoj Mohapatra, a BJP spokesperson, referred to claims made by BJD that 36,000 patients have received treatment in private hospitals using BSKY cards and that the government has spent an astounding Rs 3,000 crore on them. This implies that one out of every three families in the state has a member receiving treatment in a private hospital. He said that this was false propaganda.

Mohapatra also chastised BJD leader and 5T chairman VK Pandian for polling the populace on the party’s agenda. The head of the BJP said that the regional party, led by former federal minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu, has unveiled its agenda. He questioned the need for the 5T chairman to get public feedback on the manifesto, saying that he was no longer visible anywhere. Mohapatra questioned the 5T chairman’s decision to poll the public once again, pointing out that he had already visited all 147 Assembly seats in the state to learn about their concerns.

During the 24 years of BJD control, Mohapatra said the government had failed to address the issue of migration. Claiming that the state’s BJD administration had eradicated democracy, he insisted on the party’s platform include a commitment to permit college student union elections. According to him, political families will no longer be a source of leadership; instead, leaders will emerge from the bottom up.