The Bengal administration has begun preparations for the implementation of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, in the state ahead of the swearing-in of the new BJP govt on Saturday.
Discussions focused on the modalities of implementing the scheme in the state and the process of distributing Ayushman cards among beneficiaries, according to sources. Senior officials of the state health department attended the meeting, while officials of the Union health ministry joined through video conference. Other operational issues related to the rollout of this health insurance scheme were also taken up during the meeting.
KOLKATA: The Bengal administration has begun preparations for the implementation of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, in the state ahead of the swearing-in of the new BJP govt on Saturday. A high-level meeting was held on Friday to discuss the issue, sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in election rallies that if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, the govt will approve the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state in its first cabinet meeting, marking a major policy shift after years of resistance from the erstwhile Trinamool Congress govt. The Mamata Banerjee cabinet did not allow the scheme to be implemented in Bengal, as the state already had its own health insurance scheme, Swasthya Sathi.
An MoU between the Centre and the state is expected to be signed shortly, following which the dues will be released.
The sources also said that, a meeting regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission will soon be held between the secretary of the state public health engineering department and the secretary of the Union ministry of jal shakti to finalise the process. The state govt has already submitted detailed reports to the Centre regarding the pending allocation and the progress made in providing household tap water connections under the scheme.