Overview
- Punjab launched the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna on January 22, offering up to Rs 10 lakh in cashless treatment per family with Aadhaar-based eligibility and annual renewal.
- BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh labels the promise misleading, alleging only Rs 1 lakh is insured and the rest would rely on state funds, citing a Rs 778 crore budget provision and high debt.
- Chugh argues stringent caps on complex procedures such as heart or brain surgery could make full treatment unviable and keep major hospitals from participating.
- He contrasts the plan with Ayushman Bharat’s standardized, pre-insured packages and claims the rollout could still take months to a year.
- During a visit to Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann promotes the scheme as universal coverage requiring only an Aadhaar card, pledging no denial over cost and a Rs 10 lakh limit that resets annually.