Following massive outrage, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has remitted Rs 2.88 lakh, which had been reimbursed to him for his root canal surgery in Singapore, back to the government exchequer.
Earlier a Government Order (GO) dated August 23 issued by Srikant Nagulapalli, the Secretary to the Government, stated that the minister’s expenditure towards root canal treatment at Azure Dental, a Singapore based dental hospital, shall be debited under provisions for ‘Medical Reimbursement/Advances’.
The GO reportedly came following a request initiated from the minister’s office to reimburse the amount and an approval from Chief Executive Officer of Dr NTR Vaidyaseva Trust in Guntur, after scrutiny of the bills on August 7.
A fresh GO that confirms Yanamala’s remittance of the whole amount and cancellation of past orders was issued earlier this week.
According to the latest GO, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu stated that there was misunderstanding by some political parties about the root canal (molar) treatment he had to undergo in Singapore due to an emergency situation when he was visiting the country to attend a conference. He said that the medical reimbursement of Rs 2,88,823 which he had received has been remitted back to the government through a bank challan.
This has come nearly a month after huge outrage from different political groups, including the opposition YSRCP, and social media questioning the government’s decision. Many pointed out that the state has repeatedly been asking the Centre for funds, while others asked why the root canal could not have been done somewhere in Andhra itself. Several questioned the eligibility of the minister to get accommodated under a public welfare scheme that is meant for the economically weaker strata.
Dr NTR Vaidyaseva Trust too came under fire for allowing the reimbursement to happen without objection.
Ramakrishnudu, a senior TDP leader, has been vocal about the need for cooperative federalism, even rallying his counterparts from the southern states against the terms of reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission.