HC seeks Delhi govt reply on plea to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought Delhi government's response on a plea seeking its direction to the AAP dispensation to facilitate the implementation of the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the national capital.

The PIL, filed by Delhi BJP media in-charge Pratyush Kanth and legal cell in-charge Surya Prakash Khatri, said Delhi must take adequate steps to tackle the rise in diseases and to have a cogent medical infrastructure to cater to the emergent needs of its inhabitants.

Representing the petitioners, advocates Jayant Tripathi and Saniya Scott argued that the Delhi government is not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme and claiming it has a better policy. However, no such Delhi government policy exists, the counsels claimed.

They urged a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar to ask the Aam Aadmi Party government to produce the policy.

Seeking a direction to the Delhi government to implement the scheme, the petition said, "The Government of India, in order to ensure that its population has universal access to good quality healthcare services without anyone having to face financial hardship, inaugurated the flagship 'Ayushman Bharat Scheme' under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Government of India in order to fulfil the vision of Health for all and Universal Health Coverage, enshrined in the National Health Policy, 2017, conceptualised the said scheme."