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This is an archive article published on February 11, 2025

‘New govt will implement AB-PMJAY in first Cabinet meeting’: BJP MPs withdraw plea from HC

Earlier, then AAP government had categorically told the HC that it “does not want to implement the AB-PMJAY scheme as it will amount to downgrading the schemes already in place in Delhi”.

In January, then AAP-led government had opposed the PIL, saying that it has its own Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) scheme, which is a “much more robust scheme in comparison to AB-PMJAY”.In January, then AAP-led government had opposed the PIL, saying that it has its own Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) scheme, which is a “much more robust scheme in comparison to AB-PMJAY”. (File Photo)

Seven Delhi BJP MPs, who had moved a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court challenging the “arbitrary decision” of the then AAP government to not implement Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) in the Capital, withdrew the petition on Tuesday. They informed the HC that the new BJP government will issue instructions on implementing the scheme in its first Cabinet meeting.

The PIL was moved last November by BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Praveen Khandelwal, Ramvir Bidhuri, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Harsh Malhotra, Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Yogender Chandolia, challenging the “arbitrary decision” of the government to not implement PMJAY in Delhi. In January, then AAP-led government had opposed the PIL, saying that it has its own Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK) scheme, which is a “much more robust scheme in comparison to AB-PMJAY”.

Advocate Tejasvi Gupta, representing the petitioners, informed the division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora that the “the present dispensation has assured that the scheme will be implemented in the first Cabinet meeting”. The bench permitted the request.

Earlier, then AAP government had categorically told the HC that it “does not want to implement the AB-PMJAY scheme as it will amount to downgrading the schemes already in place in Delhi”. The BJP MPs, on the other hand, had highlighted that under the health insurance scheme, those aged 70 or more, irrespective of their income, will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually to be shared within the family.

The AAP government had pointed out that AB-PMJAY scheme will only benefit 12-15% of the city’s population, impressing that “the healthcare model of the state provides for high quality specialised care for all, whether local or not”.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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