Balasore/Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday inaugurated Balasore's Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, which is the fourth of the five medical colleges that the central and state governments have joined hands to set up in Odisha.

After Union health minister J.P. Nadda had on Friday slammed the state government over non-implementation of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state, it was the turn of his junior minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey to rake up the issue on Monday in the presence of Naveen.

However, like in Balangir on Friday, Naveen preferred to sidestep the provocation.

Odisha has said no to the central scheme and instead launched its own health scheme - Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana - on August 15.

Inaugurating the college, Naveen said: "With the opening of the Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, the long cherished dream of Balasore has been fulfilled. Now the number of seats in seven medical colleges has jumped to 1,050 from 321 in 2000."

While he remained silent on Choubey's prod on the central scheme, Naveen did not forget to remind the gathering that free medicines would be provided under the state's own scheme. He added that his government would provide an additional Rs 7 lakh health coverage for women.

The Union minister described Naveen as the " jaswasi mukhyamantri," (illustrious chief minister).

He congratulated Naveen for the "remarkable health scheme launched in Biju Patnaik's name", but urged him to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme. "It will immensely benefit Odisha. We are hopeful that Odisha will join us soon to implement the scheme and strengthen the healthcare coverage mechanism in the country," Choubey said.