Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant revelation, it has emerged that even before signing the agreement to implement the controversial PM SHRI scheme in Kerala, several state departments had accepted the Central Government's branding conditions.

For instance, the state Health Department, which initially raised a severe objection to branding, has now reversed its stand and is following the Centre's directives.

The Centre had placed conditions such as applying yellow-coloured paint to family health centre buildings, displaying information in dark-coloured letters, exhibiting six logos and giving specific names, in order to allot funds from the National Health Mission (NHM). The Central Government suggested these reforms with the political goal of earning credit for every rupee it spent in the states.

The dispute between the Kerala government and the Centre over changing the names of the 5,416 public health centres under the NHM in Kerala led to a loss of ₹600 crore to the state.

In 2018, the Centre and the state launched Ayushman Bharat Wellness Centres, sharing the expenses in the ratio of 60:40. These centres were named 'Janakeeya Arogya Kendram' in Kerala. Even though the Centre directed Kerala to change this name to 'Ayushman Health and Wellness Centre' in 2023, the state initially refused. However, Kerala later yielded, when the Centre threatened to withhold its funding.

As soon as Kerala began changing the names, the Centre made a new suggestion: naming the health facilities' Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandir.' When Kerala raised objections, the Centre blocked funds.

In November 2024, Kerala finally approved the latest name change. But the Centre did not sanction that year's allotment of ₹600 crore, forcing the state government to meet expenses such as NHM staff salaries and ASHA workers' honorariums from its own funds.

Meanwhile, the Centre also blocked its allotment to the LIFE Mission programme due to the conditions imposed on branding.

Even though the Central Government initially took a firm position on its own branding, it later backed down and agreed to joint branding. The Centre also remained silent when Kerala pointed out that displaying government symbols in the houses of beneficiaries of schemes would affect the dignity of the residents. Subsequently, the Centre allotted ₹64 crore to the state and reportedly gave up its adamant stance on branding.

Two years ago, the Central Government placed another condition – the social security pensions distributed with funds partially provided by it should be given to beneficiaries only through the Centre's PFMS facility. Following the implementation of this system, pension distribution was stalled at many places in Kerala. Currently, the state government distributes the pensions in advance and later collects the amounts from the Centre. As per data, 8.46 lakh among the total 62 lakh pensioners in the state receive the Centre's share of pension.