West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday held a meeting with Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda and announced that the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme would be rolled out in the State from July 1.
This is the first time West Bengal will be a part of the scheme, launched in 2018, after a long impasse between the previous State government and the Centre over the implementation of Centrally sponsored schemes.
Mr. Nadda and Mr. Adhikari held a virtual meeting over a video call and discussed the State’s health infrastructure, immunisation, maternal and child health initiatives, and other important healthcare issues.
“Under the National Health Mission, a total resource envelope of ₹3505.59 crore for FY 2026-27 was conveyed to the State, out of which, the first mother sanction of ₹527.58 crore has been released to the State today (Saturday),” an official statement from the Health Ministry said.
The State Chief Secretary, Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister, Health Secretary, and other State officials also joined the hour-long meeting. This is the first time Mr. Adhikari and the Union Minister have met after the Bharatiya Janata Party government assumed office in the State.
“In the health sector, the previous government did not cooperate with the Union government. Rather, they opposed it. This resulted in crores of people in Bengal being deprived of all benefits under the Central-State schemes, unlike other States,” Mr. Adhikari said at Nabanna (State Secretariat) after the meeting.
The Chief Minister further added that work on enrollment for Ayushman Bharat cards has already started, and benefits under the scheme would be available from July 1. He also said that the nearly six crore people using the previous Trinamool Congress government’s Swastha Saathi health insurance cards would be shifted to the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Medicines for critical and chronic illnesses would be made available at 50%-80% discounts under the Amrit pharmacy scheme. Mr. Adhikari also said that proposals would be sent to establish medical colleges in four districts of Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Asansol (Paschim Bardhaman), besides setting up an AIIMS in North Bengal.
The development is considered notable because, for years, the Trinamool Congress government, whose Health Ministry was led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself, was in a constant tug-of-war with the Union Health Ministry over all health-related schemes. Most Central schemes had parallel State-run versions in West Bengal, which led to funds being blocked over the years.
Ms. Banerjee’s health policies had been questioned on multiple occasions during her 15-year tenure in the State.
Published - May 23, 2026 06:23 pm IST
