Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene to remove the colour branding conditionalities for health and wellness centers and release NHM funds to Bengal.

The withholding of funds by the Center will deprive the poor of their health benefits, she said in her two-page letter to the prime minister.

"It is most unfortunate that very recently, I am informed that the union ministry of health and family welfare has withheld fund release under the National Health Mission (NHM) to West Bengal due to non-compliance with certain colour branding guidelines for health and wellness centers, despite other conditionalities being fulfilled. The withholding of fund release would adversely deprive the poor people of their benefit," she wrote.

Banerjee said that at present there are around 11000 functional health and wellness centers in the state which serve over three lakh people everyday. The buildings have been constructed since 2011 (when TMC came to power) in accordance with the colour branding in the state.

Government buildings in Bengal are mostly painted blue and white.

"I would earnestly request you to kindly intervene for the immediate release of NHM funds for West Bengal and for removal of specific colour branding conditionalities for the health and wellness centers for release of funds under the NHM so that the poor people do not suffer from lack of quality health services," Banerjee added.

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