Bhawanipatna: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today criticized the BJD government in Odisha for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state.

Singh was addressing a public meeting here in Kalahandi district.

"The people of Odisha are not getting the benefit of Ayushman Bharat Yojana as the BJD government has not implemented the scheme in the state. If voted to power in Odisha, our (BJP) government will provide benefits under the scheme to all eligible beneficiaries in the state. They will get healthcare coverage of Rs 5 lakh each," said Singh.

After coming to power in the country, the BJP government will provide free treatment to those above 70 years of age, he added.

Singh mentioned about significant development during PM Narendra Modi’s tenure of 10 years. He expressed confidence that Kalahandi, known for its backwardness, could see rapid progress if BJP takes charge in Odisha.

In the past, NGOs visited Kalahandi and highlighted its poverty. The Congress held power here for a long time. Despite promises from leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, poverty prevailed. However, since PM Narendra Modi's leadership, over 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, said Singh.

He emphasized that BJP's manifesto has focused social welfare. In the next 10 to 15 years, there won't be any poverty in the country. Every family will have pucca house, access to clean drinking water, and cooking gas within the next 5 years, he said.