AAP criticises BJP govt over CAG report on AB-PMJAY

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday criticised the BJP-led Centre over the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The CAG’s audit report on AB-PMJAY, which was presented in the Parliament earlier this week, highlighted various irregularities in the implementation of the scheme. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar, while attacking the ruling dispensation, demanded a thorough investigation into the findings of the CAG report.

“Taxpayers’ money has been spent in the advertisement but the beneficiaries didn’t receive the benefits. As per this scheme, it’s been told that approx 26,000 hospitals have been impaneled but the CAG report says among these hospitals, some lack doctors, some MRI and CT scan machines and most of these don’t even have beds,” Kakkar said.

Citing various reports, the AAP spokesperson claimed that the Centre spends less than 2 per cent of its GDP on healthcare, ranking the country poorly in global health spending comparisons. “The health sector is not a priority for the Central government and this is reflected in the lack of comprehensive healthcare schemes,”she said.

The CAG report revealed that a total of 7,49,820 beneficiaries under the AB-PMJAY were linked to a single invalid mobile number — 9999999999, besides, 1,39,300 beneficiaries were registered on an invalid mobile number — 8888888888 — while 96,046 beneficiaries were connected to another mobile number — 9000000000.

The report also disclosed that multiple beneficiaries were linked to the same or erroneous Aadhaar. A total of 12,85 beneficiaries were linked to Aadhaar number 000000000000.