Slamming the Narendra Modi government for declaring a health insurance scheme — Modicare — without consulting the states, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday decided to opt out of the scheme.
Addressing a public rally in Krishnanagar , Banerjee said the state will not “waste” its hard-earned resources to contribute its share to the programme.
You have decided that 40 per cent of that would have to be borne by states.
Why? Did you discuss with us before deciding on it? You cannot force us to pay. If we had money we would have done that on our own,” the chief minister said.
Stating that the state already has a health insurance scheme Swasthya Sathi programme in place for around 50 lakh people, who are government employees and contractual or casual labourers, Mamata said, “There is nothing new in this (Modicare).
We cannot accept the Central government’s diktat.”
