The BJP-led Delhi government presented its first Budget on Tuesday, March 25, announcing the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confirmed a ₹2,144 crore allocation for the scheme, fulfilling a key election promise.
“We had already announced that Ayushman Bharat will be implemented in Delhi,” Gupta stated while presenting the Budget. The scheme, which provides ₹5 lakh insurance coverage under the central government initiative, will receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up from the Delhi government.
With this move, Delhi becomes the 35th state or Union Territory to adopt AB-PMJAY, which aims to benefit around 55 crore individuals from 12.37 crore economically weaker families, covering the bottom 40% of India’s population.
The previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had rejected the central scheme, opting instead for its own healthcare model.
The AB-PMJAY provides health cover for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries corresponding to 12.37 crore families constituting economically vulnerable bottom 40% of India’s population. In October 2024, the Central government expanded the scene to provide free treatment benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
The Delhi government allocated ₹6,874 crore for the health sector in its latest Budget, a reduction from the ₹8,685 crore allotted by the previous AAP-led administration in 2024-25. The funds will be used to establish health and wellness centres and expand the ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’ initiative, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced. Of this, ₹320 crore has been earmarked for setting up 400 health and wellness centres.
Additionally, ₹10 crore has been allocated for the Ayushman Digital Mission, which aims to modernise medical records and create an integrated healthcare data system for improved patient management. Gupta also outlined plans to accelerate the construction of 10 to 13 new hospitals, with ₹1,000 crore specifically set aside for the project. CNBCTV18