PM's charge incorrect, Ayush did maximum work under UPA: Cong

Former Union Health Minister and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism that not much work had been done by the Ministry of Ayush in the past, saying the PM had not done enough research before making such a remark.

"I used to believe the Prime Minister speaks after doing a lot of research. But I found his research to be zero. Under the UPA government, the Ministry of Ayush did maximum work and also got its new building constructed," Azad told reporters.

Training guns at the NDA government, Azad claimed that the allocation for the Ministry had dwindled during the one-year rule of BJP.

Azad also released a "list of achievements" of the Ministry during 2009-2014 when he headed the department.

Among the achievements, he said grant-in-aid amounting to Rs 623.93 crore was given to states/Union Territories for establishment of Ayush facilities in 803 additional primary health centres, 113 community centres and 24 district hospitals during the span.

Thirty-eight government-aided colleges/institutions were given grant-in-aid amounting to Rs 85.16 crore for upgrading their infrastructure, he added.

Azad said the Ministry had also given permission to start nine new Ayurveda and one Unani medical colleges during the period, while additional 600 and 1,394 seats were permitted in undergraduate and postgraduate courses respectively in existing 125 Ayurveda and Siddha and Unani medical colleges.

Under the UPA, he said, the ministry focused on research on diseases which were of national health importance.

The Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicines (PCIM) was also set up to develop the Pharmacopoeial Standards of Ayurveda, Siddha Unani drugs, etc even as several schemes were introduced, Azad said.

In his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', the PM said the ministry did not draw much attention in the past, but it led the way during the first International Yoga Day on June 21.

"Now imagine. Ayush is a small department in the government to which nobody paid any attention earlier... But on Yoga Day, it led and organised such a big event. So, if a target is fixed, even small unit can do big things," he said.