Asansol. The state government has launched the 'Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima' to ensure no eligible family is deprived of health insurance benefits. Door-to-door surveys are underway. Meanwhile, a major revelation has emerged that 30 lakh beneficiaries of the Swasthya Sathi scheme are missing. According to Nabanna sources, this number could increase further. Administrative sources state that many beneficiaries listed under the Swasthya Sathi scheme cannot be identified. An estimated amount of over Rs 25,000 crore was wrongfully spent to provide services to fake beneficiaries. Senior state administration officials also admit that, much like the Lakshmir Bhandar and other schemes, the Swasthya Sathi scheme has numerous bogus beneficiaries. Therefore, strict verification measures have been prioritized while preparing the beneficiary list for the new 'Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana'.
A senior Nabanna official stated that checking beneficiary details revealed that many people hold Swasthya Sathi cards in their names, but they do not actually exist. The state government has placed special emphasis on verifying the beneficiary list of government schemes and identifying genuine beneficiaries. If bogus beneficiaries can be eliminated through surveys, the wastage of public funds can be prevented. Commenting on this, State Health Minister Dr. Shardawat Mukherjee said that around 30 lakh fake beneficiaries have been found, and strict action directives regarding the Swasthya Sathi scheme have been issued.
