State BJP President in West Bengal Files PIL for Ayushman Bharat Implementation

West Bengal BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP, Samik Bhattacharya, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) at the Calcutta High Court on Monday, urging the implementation of Ayushman Bharat, the Union government’s health insurance scheme, in the state.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme was not introduced in West Bengal as the state government cited the presence of its own health insurance scheme, Swasthya Sathi, as the reason for non-implementation.
The petition filed by Bhattacharya has been accepted by the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen. The case is scheduled for a hearing later this week.
Speaking to the media after filing the PIL, Bhattacharya expressed that the marginalized communities in West Bengal would have greatly benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme if it had been implemented. He criticized the state government for depriving these vulnerable groups of the scheme’s advantages.
The state government, led by Mamata Banerjee, had opposed the implementation of Ayushman Bharat, arguing that Swasthya Sathi was more inclusive and had fewer restrictions.
Bhattacharya disagreed with the state government’s stance, suggesting that any discrepancies between the two schemes could be resolved through discussions between the Union and state authorities.
He emphasized the importance of welfare schemes and the need for cooperation between different levels of government for effective implementation. Bhattacharya highlighted that approaching the court was necessary due to the state government’s persistent rejection of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.