The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, issued a notice to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and Government of NCT Delhi, scheduling a detailed hearing for November 25, 2024.
New Delhi: On July 22: The Delhi High Court sought the Central Government’s response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging clause 7 of the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) umbrella scheme. An office memorandum dated February 1, 2019, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, mandates possessing a ration card to avail of the scheme’s benefits.
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The petitioner, social activist Aakash Goel, filed a plea seeking the Union of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to relax the mandatory requirement of a Food Security Card (Ration Card) for financial assistance under the RAN scheme.
The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, issued a notice to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and Government of NCT Delhi, scheduling a detailed hearing for November 25, 2024.
The plea stated that the February 1, 2019, office memorandum was issued to implement the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) umbrella scheme, which includes the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, Health Minister’s Patients Fund (HMCPF), and the Scheme for Financial Assistance for patients with specified rare diseases.
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The plea contends that clause 7 of the guidelines, which requires an Income Certificate and Ration Card for financial support, is unlawful, arbitrary, discriminatory, and perverse. The Government of NCT of Delhi has imposed a restriction on issuing new ration cards since 2016, except in cases where the existing cardholder has died, canceled, forfeited, or surrendered their card.
This embargo has resulted in many destitute patients being denied financial aid under the RAN scheme solely due to the lack of a ration card.
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The plea argues that the guideline requiring a ration card is deplorable, unwarranted, and contrary to the scheme’s benevolent purpose.
