Members of Parliament from INDIA bloc parties staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, alleging that the Union government is imposing an “economic blockade” on the Opposition-ruled States by withholding the central funds allocated to different schemes using various excuses.
The MPs from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (United), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), among others, staged the walkout.
During the Zero Hour, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Pathak raised the issue of ₹8,000 crores worth of funds under various schemes including the National Health Mission that has been withheld by the centre raising numerous objections.
Mr. Pathak said over ₹5,000 crore of Rural Development Fund has not been released because the previous Congress government diverted the funds to another head. Similarly, the National Health Mission funds are not being granted on the issue of branding.
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The AAP government runs Aam Aadmi Clinic, which Mr. Pathak claims are run by the Punjab government’s funds and only the other expenses are borne by the National Health Mission (NHM) funds.
“At least you bestowed the GST funds, we are very grateful. And even if you didn’t give us that, what possibly could we have done. We would have probably approached the Supreme Court, which is already inundated with several cases,” he said.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took umbrage to Mr. Pathak’s comments, saying that the government respects the federal structure and funds are withheld only when the States do not follow the laid down guidelines.
The Opposition at this stage, walked out, claiming that this a story repeated for every Opposition-ruled State.
