Budget 2019: Over 10 Lakh poor people benefited from Ayushman Bharat Yojana, says President

New Delhi, Jan 31: The Budget session, the last session of Parliament before 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has begun with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses in Central Hall.

At the outset, President Ram Nath Kovind said, "The country was going through a phase of uncertainty before the election (2014). After the election, my government took up the initiative to form a New India."

"We know that expenses on health makes a poor even poorer. My governement understood this and started Ayushman Bharat Yojana. In last 4 months more than 10 Lakh poor people availed health benefits in hospitals under this scheme, " said President.

He further said that healthcare is government's topmost priority. Commending the government, Kovind said, "I am happy to inform you that the benefits of government's schemes are reaching poorest of the poor."

He backed the government's stand on Citizenship Amendment Bill. He justified the passage of the the bill saying, ".. it will make it easier to provide Indian citizenship to those who had to take refuge in India after facing oppression somewhere else. They were not at fault, they were victims of situations like that."

The President hailed Under Jan Dhan Yojana for connecting rurual poor to the banking system. He said, "34 crore people have opened a bank account and almost every family in the country is connected to the banking system. According to an international agency, 55 per cent of the total bank accounts opened between 2014-2017 were opened in India itself."

The Budget will be presented tomorrow (Feb 1). The session will conclude on the 13th of next month.

Corruption and Black Money

• To address corruption, a Special InvestigativeTeam on black money has been established.
• Through demonetization, the registration of 3.3 lakh shell companies responsible for flow of black money have been annulled.
• Assets worth more than Rs 50,000 crore arebeing confiscated under the Benami Property Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

Law and Governance

• The Citizenship Amendment Bill has beenpassed. This bill will help victims who werepersecuted and were compelled to seek refuge in India to secure citizenship in India.
• The government has created a provision forcapital punishment in case of heinous crimeslike rape of minors. The government is alsoworking on passing the Triple Talaq Bill in the Parliament.

Industry and Manufacturing

• India's position has improved by 65 places in the Ease of Doing Business ranking, from 142 in 2014 to 77 now.
• As a part of the Make in India initiative, Asia'slargest MedTech Zone is being established in Andhra Pradesh. Defence Corridors are being established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Meeting before Budget Session:

The government has convened a meeting of leaders of various political parties for smooth functioning of both the Houses. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan held an all party meeting last evening. Briefing media after the meeting, Ms Mahajan said, all parties have assured their co-operation in smooth conduct of the Lower House. She urged the members to raise issues of national importance.

Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP President Amit Shah arrived at the Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel, Leader of Congress party in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab were among those present in the meeting.