MANGALURU: Health and Family Welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday justified the hike in the service charges in the government hospitals of the state by terming the hike as 'minimal, practical and logical' and said that it will help improvement in the services.
Responding to media query on the hike, he said the service charges has been revised after so many year and accused the opposition parties of making an issue out of nothing at a time when the Centre is allegedly slashing grants to the state.
He said the fee collected will remain with the hospitals and committee led by local MLAs will decide how to use it. The service charge will remain with the respective hospitals and will not come to the government; the hike will not burden the people, he claimed.
The minister sought to thrash the exit poll of three bypolls in the state. “I don't attach much importance to the exit polls. I am hopeful of a favourable result for the party in all three seats and will win in atleast two for sure,” he said.
On the allegations of government canceling huge number of BPL cards in the state, Gundu Rao said the BPL cards of few eligible beneficiaries might have been cancelled but it will be rectified.
He said the BPL cards of government employees and Income Tax payees are being cancelled and there is nothing wrong in it. Alleging that the Centre has cancelled over 5.80 crore ration cards in the country, he asked why nobody is questioning about it.
The minister Slammed the Centre for allegedly slashing NABARD funds for the state and questioned the silence of union ministers and BJP leaders of the state. BJP state leaders have become slaves of the Centre, he alleged.