Bengal becomes first state to opt out of ‘Modicare’, Mamata says won't pay for it

Krishnanagar: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that West Bengal won’t provide financial support to the National Health Protection Scheme. With this, the state becomes the first one to pull out of ModiCare, touted as the world’s biggest government-funded healthcare programme. Banerjee said the state will not “waste” its hard-earned resources to contribute its share to the National Health Protection Scheme. “The Centre has drawn up a health plan in which 40% of the fund has to come from states. But why should the state spend on another programme when it already has its own? A state will have its own scheme if it has the resources,” the CM said while addressing a public meeting in Krishnanagar. She further ridiculed the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana' and slammed the Modi government for allocating ‘paltry’ fund for the project.