J-K: Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra reaches remote areas of Rajouri

Rajouri, Nov 20: The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, a nationwide outreach initiative aimed at informing and empowering citizens about the Centre's flagship schemes, on Monday reached panchayats in the hilly remotes area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district in the Pir Panjal valley.

In J-K, the Yatra was flagged off from Budhal Rajouri, Gurez and Bandipora on November 15. People, Panchayati Raj institutions and government officials attended the launch function.

Abdul Wahid Malik, a local told ANI that the benefit of the Centre's schemes is reaching out to everyone.

"The benefit of Centre's schemes is reaching out to people. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, eighty per cent of Golden cards have been made. Remaining of the cards are being made".

Under this scheme, the government bears the cost of medicines, tests, etc for up to Rs 5 lakh for treatment in a year. Apart from the government hospitals, a few private hospitals have also been empanelled by the government, where the patients can receive free treatment by showing the 'golden card' issued under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The campaign was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15 at Khunti, Jharkhand. Multiple vans were flagged off simultaneously from various locations with significant tribal populations across the country.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha virtually attended the launch at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on November 15.

A dynamic melange of events and initiatives unfolded on the first day of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, weaving together stories of empowerment and collective engagement toward a shared vision of national development, according to an official release.

Further, as per the official release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the first day of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra reached more than one lakh people across 259 Gram Panchayats in the country.

People thronged the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra IEC Vans and enthusiastically participated in the activities organized as well as availed of the on-spot services provided, stated the release.

More than 16,000 people participated in health camps organised with over 6,000 people screened for TB, and over 4500 for Sickle Cell disease on the first day, it added.

The aim of the Yatra is to generate awareness regarding the Central government's welfare schemes and policies and achieve 100 per cent saturation of flagship government schemes.

The Yatra is a testimony to the country's resolve to develop and acknowledge the role and responsibility shared by the citizens in this endeavour, the release stated.

It also marks a significant step in the achievement of this objective through outreach, information dissemination, and empowering citizens to become active stakeholders in the country's development, it added.