Nod for Ayushman Bharat, CAG reports: Rekha Gupta, team check in

“The Cabinet discussed two major items on the agenda at the meeting today: Ayushman Bharat Yojana and 14 pending CAG reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave this (Ayushman Bharat) scheme to the entire country but the previous AAP government did not implement it. But we passed it in our first Cabinet meeting,” she said.

“Under this scheme, the Central government will provide a benefit of Rs 5 lakh, and a top-up of an additional Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the state government… The scheme will be implemented as soon as possible after completing all formalities,” she said.

Supporters celebrate her appointment, Wednesday night. (Gajendra Yadav)

Gupta said the Cabinet also discussed the Rs 2,500 financial assistance scheme for women. “Many things have to be decided… which category we will give it to without registration… It needs more discussion. We will finalise this at the next meeting,” she said.

The Cabinet also approved the pending CAG reports. “These are 14 pending CAG reports which the previous government did not table in the Delhi Assembly… The reports will be tabled in the first sitting of the Assembly… The other issues on our agenda and commitments will be passed one by one very soon,” she said.

Earlier in the day, along with Gupta, the ministers who were administered the oath of office by Lt Governor V K Saxena at the Ramlila Maidan – the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP brass – were Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, Ravinder Indraj Singh and Pankaj Kumar Singh.

Gupta has kept the portfolios of Finance, Services, Revenue and Vigilance along with six others.

“Under this scheme, the Central government will provide a benefit of Rs 5 lakh, and a top-up of an additional Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the state government… The scheme will be implemented as soon as possible after completing all formalities,” she said.

Parvesh Sahib Singh has been allotted PWD, Legislative Affairs, Water and Gurdwara Elections departments.

Sood has been handed the portfolios of Home, Power, Urban Development and Education.

Sirsa will head Forest and Environment and Industries. Ravinder Singh has been allocated the portfolios of Social Welfare and SC & ST Welfare while Pankaj Kumar Singh will head Health & Family Welfare and Transport.

Mishra will once again head Art & Culture, Language, Tourism, which he did when he was in the AAP government. He also gets charge of Law & Justice and Labour departments.

After the swearing-in ceremony, Gupta took charge at the Delhi Secretariat around 3 pm. Accompanying the Council of Ministers were BJP state in-charge and BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, MPs Harsh Malhotra, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Bansuri Swaraj and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

Gupta said the BJP government will not waste even a single day during its tenure and will work on a war footing to fulfill the promises made to the people of Delhi.

“Everyone is welcome in this room… The CM office will always be open for people,” she said.

The BJP ended AAP’s 10-year rule in the city, returning to power in Delhi after 27 years.

Also on the new government’s agenda are announcements of a project regarding the cleaning and beautification of the Yamuna and repairing arterial roads.

Before the meeting, the Council of Ministers went to Yamuna’s Vasudev Ghat for the evening aarti.

Later, Sirsa said, “We will fulfill all promises made in the manifesto… Yeh sarkar bahane banane ke liye nahi bani hai (This government has not been elected to make excuses)… We will transform the Yamuna to a clean tourism and riverfront destination.”