Ravula demands white paper on Arogyasri scheme

Condemning the negligent attitude of the TRS government in providing medical services to the people, TDP-Telangana senior leader Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy today demanded a white paper on Arogyashree scheme in the State.

The government should give details on how many persons were treated under the scheme during the last 25 months and how much money the government has spent, Ravula said while speaking to media at NTR trust bhavan here.

The TDP leader said on one side the government claimed that talks on arrears of Aryogyashree were successful on other hand private hospital managements say talks were unsuccessful. The government had said that Rs 350-crore arrears would be disbursed by the end of March 31, but now the State government is stating that only Rs 100 crore of the total arrears would be given. Do you want to continue this scheme or wanted to stop it? he asked the TRS government. He also asked the government not to create problems for those persons, who wanted to avail the facility under Arogyashree by continuing negotiations. The private hospitals went on strike for third time this year demanding disbursement of arrears which was causing hardship to the poor, Ravula said.

The TDP leader alleged that the KCR government has spent Rs 1,000 crore for publicity during the last two years. But it was not taking serious in providing medical facilities to the poor, he accused and said KCR had said that nobody should go to Hyderabad as his government would provide all facilities in district headquarters itself. But now the government was ignoring the poor, he alleged. He also said the government should give clarification on the budget allotted to Arogyashree scheme. If the budget was increased, why arrears are pending, he asked. (NSS)