Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s pictures on the 108-ambulances will have to go to get the central funds, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Santosh Chowdhary made it clear on Sunday. The ambulances are being run with central funds, she added.
“The State Government would have to remove the photographs if it wanted to continue availing 20 per cent central funding,” said Chowdhary while talking to the reporters at nearby Gandhwan village. She said due time has been given for compliance of instructions. She made it clear that the photographs are contrary to the central norms.
“I am waiting for feedback from the State and will initiate action only after hearing from it,” she added.
The Minister said all States have been issued guidelines on March 16 against putting politicians’ images on ambulances deployed for public service under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The guidelines made it clear that if these were not adhered to, the Centre would discontinue financial support to them, she said. The Centre provided 240 air-conditioned ambulances to Punjab in 2011.
Minister also asked the State Government to improve infrastructure in hospitals for poor patients, regreted acute shortage of doctors and staff nurses in Government hospitals of Punjab.
Only a day before, Badal had refused to go by Chawdhary’s demand to remove his photographs pasted on ‘108’ Emergency Ambulances in the State provided under a Central scheme. He maintained that pasting or removal of photographs did not fall under her jurisdiction.