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National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a sub-mission under the National
Health Mission (NHM)
The Union Cabinet gave its approval to launch a National
Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a new sub-mission under the over-arching National
Health Mission (NHM). Under the Scheme the following proposals have been
approved :
- One Urban Primary Health Centre (U-PHC) for every fifty to sixty
thousand population. - One Urban Community Health Centre (UCHC) for five to six U-PHCs in big
cities. - One Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANM) for 10,000 population.
- One Accredited Social Health Activist ASHA (community link worker) for
200 to 500 households.
The estimated cost of NUHM for 5 years period is Rs.22,507
crore with the Central Government share of Rs.16,955 crore. Centre-State funding
pattern will be 75:25 except for North Eastern states and other special category
states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for whom the
funding pattern will be 90:10.
The scheme will focus on primary health care needs of the urban poor. This
Mission will be implemented in 779 cities and towns with more than 50,000
population and cover about 7.75 crore people.
The interventions under the sub-mission will result in
- Reduction in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
- Reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
- Universal access to reproductive health care
- Convergence of all health related interventions.
The existing institutional mechanism and management systems
created and functioning under NRHM will be strengthened to meet the needs of
NUHM. Citywise implementation plans will be prepared based on baseline survey
and felt need. Urban local bodies will be fully involved in implementation of
the scheme. NUHM aims to improve the health status of the urban population in
general, particularly the poor and other disadvantaged sections by facilitating
equitable access to quality health care, through a revamped primary public
health care system, targeted outreach services and involvement of the community
and urban local bodies.
Background
The Union Cabinet in its meeting held in April 2012 has
already approved the continuation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
and the other sub-mission under NHM till 31.3.2017. Amendments in the National
Food Security Bill Introduced in the Lok Sabha Bill Provides Rice at the Rate of
Rs 3 and Wheat at Rs 2 Per Kg Food Security Allowance in Case of Non Supply of
Foodgrains Proposed Special Focus on Nutritional Support to Women and Children
Women to Get 6000 Rs Maternity Allowance Besides Nutritional Food .
The National Food Security Bill was introduced in the Lok
Sabha on 22nd December, 2011 to addresses the issue of food security in a
comprehensive manner, by adopting a life cycle approach. The Bill was introduced
after a wide-ranging consultation with various stakeholders.
After introduction, the Bill was referred to Standing
Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, who interacted with
other Central Ministries, various other organizations and individuals and
visited States before submitting its report to the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 17th
January, 2013. The recommendations of the Standing Committee were examined in
consultation with concerned Central Ministries and also with the Food Ministers
and Food Secretaries of States/UT. Based on the recommendations of the Standing
Committee and views of various stakeholders thereon, the Government decided to
move certain amendments to the Bill. These amendments seek to make the framework
of the proposed legislation simpler, provide more flexibility to States/UTs in
its implementation and to address some of the concerns raised by them.
Main amendments to the Bill are as under:
-
Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public
Distribution System (TPDS): Instead of coverage ofupto 75% of the rural
population and upto 50% of the urban population under two categories of
priority and general households with different entitlements and issue prices
provided in the original Bill, there would be only one category of
beneficiaries with uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month. -
Protection of entitlements under Targeted Public
Distribution System: The entitlement of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
households, which constitute poorest of the poor will, however, be protected
at 35 kg per household per month. It is also proposed to accept the
recommendation of the Committee to protect the existing allocation of food
grains to the States/UTs, subject to it being restricted to average
annualofftake during last three years (2009- 10 to 2011-12). -
State-wise coverage and identification of beneficiaries:
Corresponding to coverage of 75%/50% of the rural/urban population at the
all India level, State-wise coverage will be determined by the Planning
Commission. The work of identification of eligible households is proposed to
be left to the States/UTs, which may frame their own criteria or use the
Social Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data. -
Subsidized Prices under TDPS and their revision: Uniform
prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains will be applicable
to all eligible beneficiaries. It is proposed to fix these prices for the
first three years of implementation of the Act, and thereafter link the same
suitably to MSP. -
Cost of intra-State transportation & handling of
foodgrains and FPS Dealers’ margin: In order to address the concerns of
States/ UTs regarding additional financial burden, it is proposed that
Central Government may provide assistance to States towards cost of
intra-State transportation, handling of food grains and FPS Dealers’ margin,
for which norms will be devised. -
Maternity benefit: It is proposed to allow States/UTs to
use the existing machinery of District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO),
State Food Commission, if they so desire, to save expenditure on
establishment of new set up.
At the coverage and entitlement now proposed, total estimated
annual food grains requirement is 612.3 lakhtons and the corresponding estimated
food subsidy for implementation of NFSB, at 2013-14 costs, is about Rs. 1,24747
crore. When compared to the estimated food subsidy requirement under existing
TDPS and Other Welfare Schemes, the additional food subsidy implication is about
Rs.23,800 crore per annum. Requirement for assistance to States for meeting the
expenditure on Transportation, Handling and FPS Dealers’ margin, etc., would be
additional.
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