Minister, ex-MLAs listed as Modicare beneficiaries in Kanpur

Kanpur (UP): An Uttar Pradesh minister, some former MLAs and prominent businessmen here figure in the list of beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat, the Centre's recently launched health insurance scheme meant for the poor and the deprived, officials said. Among the unintended beneficiaries of the recently launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the state's Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana.

Mahana has asked for a probe into the anomaly.

The ambitious scheme is expected to provide health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to about five crore people across the country.

The minister demanded stringent action against those responsible for the "gross negligence".

"I came to know from some reliable sources that my name and my family members' names were on the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme website," he told .

The minister said he then asked the Kanpur district magistrate to conduct an inquiry and take strict action against those found guilty.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ashok Shukla said the list also has the names of former BJP MLA Salil Vishnoi, former Congress MLA Ajay Kapoor and his brothers Vijay Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor.

Salil Vishnoi also told the names are included in the list of beneficiaries even though they are not eligible for it.

District Magistrate Vijay Vishwas Pant said the CMO has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report at the earliest.

Over two lakh families in Kanpur district are listed as beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the CMO said.

The scheme offers cashless health services to the beneficiaries.