Amid expectations of major announcements, the newly formed Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in her first cabinet meeting on Thursday approved a proposal reinstating the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojna (ABY) with Rs 5 Lakhs top-up and tabling of 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports in the first siting of the Assembly.
The cabinet also discussed the financial assistance scheme, which provides Rs 2,500 to women, aiming to support their welfare and empowerment.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gupta said in Hindi, “During the Cabinet meeting, we have taken two big decisions. The ABY, whose implementation had been held back by the previous government, will be implemented in Delhi with a top-up of Rs 5 Lakh from the state government. PM Narendra Modi had announced the scheme for the whole nation, but Delhi could not get its benefits because of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This will be done at the earliest after the formalities are completed.”
“There are 14 CAG reports pending, which were not tabled by the previous government. They will be tabled during the first session of the Assembly. These decisions were taken today. We will take up our other commitments, give shape to each one of them and present them before you soon,” she added. Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi for 2017-18 to 2021-22, Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services for 2023 and Performance Audit Report on Children in Need of Care and Protection for 2018-19 to 2020-21 are among 14 pending CAG reports.
The implementation of the ABY for medical insurance had become a major flashpoint between the AAP and the BJP. MPs from the BJP had also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking that the scheme be made available to people in the national capital.
Notably, the previous AAP government, led by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, had opposed the implementation of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi, saying that it would “amount to downgrading the healthcare initiatives already in place.” The AAP government in Delhi had several run-ins with lieutenant governors over various issues in the past decade. However, with the BJP coming to power in the city after more than 26 years, many expect the relationship to improve, paving the way for smooth governance.
After chairing the first Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Gupta announced the distribution of portfolios among her ministers, keeping with her finance, services, vigilance, revenue, women and child development among other departments.
Pravesh Verma will oversee the Public Works Department (PWD), Water, Legislative Affairs, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which manages the cleaning of the Yamuna River and Gurudwara elections.
Ashish Sood has been given the Home, Power, Urban Development, Education, Higher Education, Training and Technical Education. Kapil Mishra has been appointed as the new Minister of Law and Justice, Tourism, Art and Culture, and will also hold the Labour Department portfolio. Manjinder Singh Sirsa has been assigned the Forest, Environment, Planning and Industries portfolio, along with the Food and Supplies Department. Ravinder Indraj Singh Indraj will hold the portfolio of Social Welfare, SC and ST Welfare, Elections and Cooperative. Pankaj Kumar Singh will oversee Health and Family Welfare, Information Technology as well as Transport.
Hours after taking oath at the iconic Ramlila Maidan, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta along with her Cabinet colleagues performed Yamuna aarti at Vasudev Ghat-inspired by the daily evening ceremony at the ghats of Ganga at Haridwar and Varanasi. Ram bhajans were played at the ghat, and slogans of “Jai Shree Ram” and “Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai” were raised. The party leaders then headed to the Delhi secretariat for the first Cabinet meeting.
Gupta, all smiles and wearing a jacket over a red saree, reminiscent of the dress code of BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj,
Delhi’s new Chief Minister had a packed schedule on Day 1 of her government. Soon after taking oath along with her council of ministers of six leaders this afternoon, she went to her office at the Delhi Secretariat and met officials and leaders. Following the meetings and greetings, the first thing the chief minister did was to call a cabinet meeting. The new Chief Minister also went to meet with chief ministers of NDA government at a hotel.
Earlier, Rekha Gupta took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of Delhi at the historic Ramlila Maidan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several NDA leaders and Chief Ministers. The event was attended by leaders such as Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, Devendra Fadnavis, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and many more. Flanked by her ministers, state BJP in-charge Baijayant Panda and state president Virendra Sachdeva, Gupta took charge at the Delhi Secretariat, shortly after taking oath in a grand ceremony at the sprawling Ramlila Maidan.
After assuming the charge, Gupta asserted that not a single day will be wasted in realising the “Viksit Delhi” mission. The 50-year-old ninth chief minister of Delhi also said that the new BJP government will fulfil all the promises made to the people of the national capital. “Not a single day will be wasted in realising our mission of a ‘Viksit Delhi’ (developed Delhi). We will fulfil all the commitments made to the people of Delhi,” she told reporters after taking the charge.
