The states of Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh are the top beneficiaries of ‘Ayushman Bharat’ - Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship healthcare insurance programme in which the government has spent Rs 798.34 crore till November end.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat offers up to Rs 5 lakh for hospitalisation for low-income families. 50 crore people are targeted to benefit from this scheme. 10,000 people are being helped daily at present, and the number is expected to go to 30,000 soon.

The government allotted West Bengal around Rs 193.34 crore, which included Rs 16.78 crore as administrative expenses, while Bihar and Chhattisgarh got Rs 188.27 crore and Rs 114.43 crore respectively, reports Financial Express.

The scheme is funded by both the Central and the State government in a 60:40 ratio. For the Northeastern and Himalayan states, the Centre will bear 90 per cent of the expenses.

However, critics have been hitting out against the scheme for spending money on the private sector as 60 per cent of work under Ayushman Bharat is done at private hospitals at present.

The government has been making sure that there are no frauds in the scheme by setting up five analytics companies. These firms will analyse the detection of malpractices by private hospitals in the implementation of the programme.