Chandigarh: While the Punjab government has proposed ways of ending the impasse over branding primary health and wellness centres as Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs), the central health ministry will withhold the state’s National Health Mission (NHM) funds until full compliance with the expenditure department’s guidelines.
The Centre and the state are in conflict over the branding of 390-odd wellness centres as AACs—a flagship initiative of the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.The outstanding central grant is more than Rs 400 crore. AAP MP Sandeep Pathak asked the health ministry in the Rajya Sabha to clarify when it planned to release that money and if it was okay to call it “Pradhan Mantri” Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) when states contributed 40% to it.
The MP questioned the non-reflection of the states’ contribution to the schemes in their names and why the states were not involved in deciding these titles. The central ministry responded that the expenditure department guidelines required strict adherence from all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to get special assistance for capital investment in the financial year 2023-24. The ministry cited paragraph 4 of these guidelines for evidence.
It referred to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Punjab for implementation of the NHM from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026, clause 10.3 of which makes the state responsible for implementing the programme and its activities within a ministry-provided framework. The ministry held that the Punjab government had deviated from the branding guidelines and thereby breached the terms outlined in MoU’s clauses 10.3 and 10.10. The state branded the primary health centres — health and wellness centres (PHC-HWCs) as AAC instead of the designated Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres, now known as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. It neither followed the colour scheme nor displayed the six logos.
The ministry submitted that it had written to state several times about the issue and reviewed those with the Punjab health minister in Delhi. About the NHM funds held back for this financial year, the central ministry claimed to have released Rs 51.11 crore out of Rs 457.9 crore central share in allocation and withheld Rs 402.48 crore over violation of the DoE guidelines and the MoU.
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The Centre and the state are in conflict over the branding of 390-odd wellness centres as AACs—a flagship initiative of the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.The outstanding central grant is more than Rs 400 crore. AAP MP Sandeep Pathak asked the health ministry in the Rajya Sabha to clarify when it planned to release that money and if it was okay to call it “Pradhan Mantri” Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) when states contributed 40% to it.
The MP questioned the non-reflection of the states’ contribution to the schemes in their names and why the states were not involved in deciding these titles. The central ministry responded that the expenditure department guidelines required strict adherence from all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to get special assistance for capital investment in the financial year 2023-24. The ministry cited paragraph 4 of these guidelines for evidence.
It referred to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Punjab for implementation of the NHM from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026, clause 10.3 of which makes the state responsible for implementing the programme and its activities within a ministry-provided framework. The ministry held that the Punjab government had deviated from the branding guidelines and thereby breached the terms outlined in MoU’s clauses 10.3 and 10.10. The state branded the primary health centres — health and wellness centres (PHC-HWCs) as AAC instead of the designated Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres, now known as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. It neither followed the colour scheme nor displayed the six logos.
The ministry submitted that it had written to state several times about the issue and reviewed those with the Punjab health minister in Delhi. About the NHM funds held back for this financial year, the central ministry claimed to have released Rs 51.11 crore out of Rs 457.9 crore central share in allocation and withheld Rs 402.48 crore over violation of the DoE guidelines and the MoU.
We also published the following articles recently
Israeli army opens fire at hospital wards: Gaza health ministry
Israeli forces open fire at hospital rooms in Gaza, raising concerns for the safety of 12 children in paediatric care. The health ministry in Gaza reported that the Kamal Adwan hospital is being targeted, with patient rooms and courtyards being fired upon. The situation at the hospital could not be independently confirmed. The Israeli army has not commented on the allegations. The health ministry also stated that hospital staff have been detained and tortured by Israeli forces.
Israeli forces open fire at hospital rooms in Gaza, raising concerns for the safety of 12 children in paediatric care. The health ministry in Gaza reported that the Kamal Adwan hospital is being targeted, with patient rooms and courtyards being fired upon. The situation at the hospital could not be independently confirmed. The Israeli army has not commented on the allegations. The health ministry also stated that hospital staff have been detained and tortured by Israeli forces.
After Centre, states eye ‘just in time’ fund release
After the Centre’s decision to rework fund release, several states are moving towards a similar mechanism to lower their borrowings. The Centre’s new system, Treasury Single Account, has resulted in significant savings and efficient cash management. However, this has affected banks that relied on generating cash from government departments. The Centre releases funds promptly with a minimum float allowed, and tracks transactions in real-time. Many states are also adopting this system due to its efficiency and merit.
After the Centre’s decision to rework fund release, several states are moving towards a similar mechanism to lower their borrowings. The Centre’s new system, Treasury Single Account, has resulted in significant savings and efficient cash management. However, this has affected banks that relied on generating cash from government departments. The Centre releases funds promptly with a minimum float allowed, and tracks transactions in real-time. Many states are also adopting this system due to its efficiency and merit.