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Bengal Health Battle: BJP Chief Files PIL for Ayushman Bharat Amid State Opposition

The West Bengal BJP chief has taken the state government to court over a health scheme. He filed a public interest litigation demanding the implementation of the central Ayushman Bharat program. The state government has refused, arguing its own Swasthya Sathi scheme is sufficient. The court has admitted the case and will hear it soon.

Key Points: Bengal BJP Chief Samik Bhattacharya Files PIL for Ayushman Bharat

  • BJP's Samik Bhattacharya files PIL in Calcutta HC for Ayushman Bharat scheme
  • State govt opposes it, citing its own Swasthya Sathi scheme
  • Court admits petition, hearing scheduled for this week
  • Bhattacharya claims marginalized communities are being deprived of benefits
3 min read

State BJP chief files PIL in Calcutta HC demanding Ayushman Bharat scheme implementation in Bengal

West Bengal BJP President files PIL in Calcutta High Court demanding implementation of the central Ayushman Bharat health scheme, challenging the state government's refusal.

"This state government does not care for the people coming from the marginalized sections of society. - Samik Bhattacharya"

Kolkata, Dec 22

West Bengal BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP, Samik Bhattacharya, on Monday, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) at the Calcutta High Court demanding implementation of Ayushman Bharat, the health insurance scheme of the Union government, in the state.

State BJP president in Bengal files PIL at Calcutta HC demanding the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state

Kolkata, Dec 22 (IANS): State BJP president in West Bengal and the party Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya, on Monday, filed a public interest litigation at Calcutta High Court demanding implementation of Ayushman Bharat, the health insurance scheme of the Union Government in the state.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme could not be implemented in West Bengal as the state government did not allow it on the grounds that Swasthya Sathi, the state government’s own health insurance scheme, was already in force in the state.

The division bench of the Calcutta High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen had admitted the petition, and the matter will come up for hearing this week.

After filing the public interest litigation, Bhattacharya told media persons that the common people, especially those from the marginalized community in West Bengal, would have benefited had the Ayushman Bharat scheme been implemented in the state.

“But the state government deprived those people of this opportunity by not allowing implementation of the scheme in the state. This state government does not care for the people coming from the marginalized sections of society,” he said.

The Mamata Banerjee-led state government had been opposing Ayushman Bharat implementation in West Bengal because it had too many restrictions, and instead Swasthya Sathi scheme was open for all.

On the other hand, the Union government argued that while the facility of the Ayushman Bharat scheme could be available anywhere in India, the jurisdiction of Swasthya Sathi was limited to that in West Bengal.

Bhattacharya, however, refused to accept this argument of the state government. According to him, these factors could be easily sorted out through bureaucratic-level discussion between the Union and the state governments.

“Whenever any welfare scheme is implemented, there are some associated rules. “Certain people have certain roles in making laws and in implementing projects announced by any government. But, in this case, the state government has been rejecting the scheme since the beginning. Then there is nothing to be done except approaching the court," Bhattacharya said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Honestly, I'm tired of this tug of war. As a Bengali, I just want good, accessible healthcare. If the state scheme is working fine, why force another? But if Ayushman Bharat offers better coverage or portability, then the government should find a way to integrate them. Bureaucrats should talk, not just go to court.
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Aman W
The portability argument makes sense. What if a beneficiary from Bengal needs treatment in Delhi or Chennai? Swasthya Sathi won't work there, but Ayushman Bharat would. This inflexibility hurts migrant workers and students the most.
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Sarah B
While I understand the need for central schemes, I respectfully disagree with the PIL approach. It feels more like a political stunt before elections. The state has its own scheme. Instead of litigation, both governments should collaborate to improve the existing system for the people.
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Karthik V
Having two schemes is not a problem, it's an advantage! Let people choose. My relatives in other states praise Ayushman Bharat. Bengal's people deserve that choice too. Hope the court sees the public interest clearly.
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Nisha Z
The real issue is implementation on the ground. We hear about corruption and hospitals denying claims in both schemes. Instead of fighting over names, fix the delivery system. More money for health infrastructure is what we need.

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