For the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the Centre’s healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat during his visit to the State on Saturday.

Addressing a public meeting here, Modi said Odisha is yet to be included in the Ayushman Bharat scheme even though the State has poor healthcare facilities. He exhorted Patnaik to make the State part of the scheme for benefit the State’s people.

“If Odisha comes under the scheme, people of Odisha will be able to get healthcare facilities anywhere in the country free of cost. But if the Government does not cooperate, I will not be able to serve you,” Modi said.

This apart, Modi took credit for the Re 1-kg-rice scheme in the State claiming that the Odisha Government is able to implement the scheme because the Centre contributes around Rs 450 crore per month for the scheme.

“People of Odisha are not aware of the contribution of the Centre to the Rs 1-rice scheme benefiting 85 lakh people in the State. The Odisha Government is able to give one kg of rice at Rs 1 because the Centre gives Rs 25 to Rs 30 per for the same. The Centre is giving around Rs 450 crore per month to the Odisha CM for the scheme,” the PM said.

Modi also had a dig at the Patnaik Government for what he alleged that Odisha has been lagging behind in the implementation of the Swachchhta Mission as large numbers of people in the

State are going for open defecation due to non-construction of toilets.

Earlier in the day, Modi laid foundation-stone for the Talcher Fertiliser Plant in the presence of CM Naveen and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and assured that the project would be completed in 36 months. This would be the country’s first coal gasification-based fertilizer plant.