New Delhi [India], November 28 : With the Delhi High Court expressing surprise at the AAP government over not accepting Centre's aid on a plea seeking implementation of PMJAY, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Thursday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party government, saying that it is sacrificing the interests of the people of Delhi.
The petition sought directions for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
"I would like to thank the judges of the Delhi High Court - at a time when the AAP government is sacrificing the interests of the people of Delhi, the High Court has to play the role of protecting the interests of the people of Delhi. The High Court issued a notice (to Delhi govt) when all the seven MPs of Delhi knocked at the doors of the court - to implement PM-JAY, a Rs 5 lakh health cover to the people, the biggest such scheme in the world. But the AAP government is keeping the people away from this benefit due to their political interests," Bansuri Swaraj said.
The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Delhi Government on Thursday on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by all seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs from Delhi.
The petition sought directions for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Manmohan and comprising Justice Manmeet Pritam Arora, has linked the case with other ongoing matters concerning health infrastructure and scheduled the next hearing for December 11, 2024.
Bansuri Swaraj, senior advocate and BJP MP, represented all petitioner members of Parliament to argue that the scheme has not been implemented in Delhi, denying the target beneficiaries easy and efficient access to the promised Rs five lakh coverage. This coverage is intended to protect individuals from catastrophic expenses related to secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation at a wide network of empaneled public and private hospitals.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the bench had criticised the Delhi government for its poor health infrastructure and the lack of funds to improve it. The Court, in oral observations, criticised the Delhi government, stating that the health system is insufficient and not functioning properly. The court highlighted the lack of updated medical equipment, with many existing devices not working, and noted that CT scan facilities for needy patients are nearly unavailable.