KOLKATA: In its first meeting, the West Bengal BJP cabinet headed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday approved rolling out of the Centre’s health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, in the state.
The cabinet also approved handing over land to the BSF border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in the state.
The launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme marked a policy reversal by the new BJP government after years of resistance to the programme under the previous Trinamool Congress government led by the former CM Mamata Banerjee.
On the other hand, the Suvendu Adhikari cabinet’s decision to give land to the BSF for border protection is also a landmark move that was allegedly put on hold by the previous Trinamool government.
Expressing serious concern over the infiltration issue along the bordering districts of Bengal, BJP’s central leadership, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during poll rallies had been accusing the Trinamool government of not giving land to the ministry for fencing, putting the country’s security at stake.
While speaking to the reporters in his press conference after becoming the CM, Suvendu said today, “The cabinet has approved rolling out of the Central Government scheme Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal. The union health ministry and state health department will finalise the scheme's implementation. Several other Central schemes will also be implemented in the state.”
He also made it clear that no existing social security schemes, including Swasthya Sathi of the previous state governments, will be withdrawn in Bengal.
The CM also said that people who are dead and not Indian nationals won’t get the benefits of these schemes.
“We have already announced during election campaigns that no social security schemes launched 10 years or 30 years ago, whatever it may be will be cancelled,” Suvendu said.
The decision was announced after the first cabinet meeting chaired by Adhikari.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a component of the Centre’s broader Ayushman Bharat initiative, was launched in September 2018 by the Centre to provide health insurance coverage to economically vulnerable families.
Bengal, at that time under the rule of the TMC-led government, had withdrawn from the Centre’s flagship health scheme due to political friction, branding issues, and the existence of Mamata Banerjee’s aligned health scheme, Swasthya Sathi.
The Ayushman Bharat, a fully centrally funded scheme aims to provide universal health coverage to economically vulnerable individuals, ensuring they have access to quality medical facilities.
The card offers healthcare services to eligible beneficiaries by enabling cashless and paperless hospital treatment for secondary and tertiary care, with insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year.
He said that the BJP government will run based on theories – ‘government by the people, of the people and for the people’ theories. The cabinet meeting chaired by Suvendu also cleared to the land transfer issue today.
“The transfer process of land for border fencing will start within 45 days of formation of our government in the state, and it was our commitment. The state chief secretary and land and land reform department secretary will work together to hand over land to the BSF,” he added.
He also said that the cabinet has decided to extend the maximum age limit by five years for different exams in the state government employees recruitment services.
“No recruitment in state government services has been done since 2015 and a result, the maximum age limit of many educated applicants is already over. Keeping this issue in mind, the cabinet has approved to extend the maximum age limit by another five years,” the CM added.
The Trinamool Congress during pre-election campaigns had been alleging that all state government schemes rolled out by the previous government would be withdrawn if the BJP was voted to power in Bengal.