Tuki pleads for continuation of CMUHIS

From Our Correspondent

Itagar, March 14: Former Aruchal Pradesh Chief Minister bam Tuki on Tuesday urged the state government to continue the ambitious Chief Minister Universal Health Insurance Scheme which had benefitted all as well as the government in curtailing expenditure to the tune of Rs 30-40 crore annually against medical reimbursement.

Participating in the budget discussion, the lone Congress MLA in the house pointed out that he had introduced the scheme during 2013 by increasing royalty on alcohol to meet the required expenditure which had benefitted over 11,000 patients in the state through cashless treatment in various empanelled hospitals across the country. He cited the example of MNREGA scheme launched by the UPA government at the Centre which has been continued by the BJP-led NDA government.’

            Tuki also requested to take the skill development scheme on priority through vocatiol training for gainful employment to the unemployed youth of the state. Terming the Budget 2017-18 as a continuation of the budgets of previous regimes, Tuki said that there was no mention of surplus or deficit in the budget speech through proper indication of charts.

Deputy Chief Minister Chow Mein, who also holds the Fince portfolio presented the 285 crore budget in the assembly on March 10 last. “The Revenue expenditure projected in the budget (Rs 10,473 crore) is surprisingly higher than the Capital expenditure (Rs 4177 crore). The budget reflected more expenditure in salary components heads than development,” Tuki said adding it might yield good results in future. He said the Fourteenth Fince Commission (FFC) grants was enhanced because of hard efforts of the state government employees who have sought allocation on geographical area criteria instead of population. Referring to lacue in certain areas as witnessed in the Budget, the senior Congress legislator said that there was no mention of MLA Local Aread Development fund and  suggested for doubling the amount from two crore.