New Delhi: The Supreme Court, Friday, issued notice to Odisha and three other states in a petition regarding non-implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or Ayushman Bharat by these states.
A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Sarad Arvind Bobde and comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian heard the petition and issued notice to Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana and Delhi. The court would hear the matter September 28.
The petitioner urged the SC to declare the inaction of the state governments as illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner submitted that people
belonging to poor and middle class sections are not able to avail
benefits of the scheme during COVID-19 period.
The petitioner also told the court that the Union government and National Health Authority should make a comprehensive policy in
this regard.
Significantly, Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana and Delhi have not implemented the PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat scheme.