New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Aiming to deliver its promise to provide free health insurance, the Delhi government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Central government on April 10 to extend benefits of AB-PMJAY to city residents, said Minister Pankaj Singh on Tuesday.
Singh, who also holds the transport portfolio, said that new small electric buses – Mohalla buses -- will also start plying from April 1.
The Delhi government plans to enrol one lakh residents for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) insurance scheme within one month and offer insurance up to Rs 10 lakh to people, with provision for undergoing treatment at private hospitals, he said.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reiterated her government’s commitment to fight TB in the city.
“The Delhi government will work with full commitment along with the central government in the TB-free India campaign started under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. We pledge that while fulfilling our responsibility, we will work with full dedication to make the country TB-free,” CM Gupta wrote in a post on X.
Talking about the introduction of new buses, Pankaj Singh, who also holds the portfolio of transport, said about 2,000 new buses – both 12 metre and 9 metre – will join the DTC fleet in the first week of April.
He said 80 per cent work of setting up charging stations for the new buses has been completed.
Singh said he held several rounds of talks with vendors to iron out irritants related to maximising the ‘Make in India’ component in the tender.
He said old buses are being phased out -- 3,000 DTC buses need to be phased out and 2,000 cluster buses are scheduled to be phased out this year.
Buses are going to get phased out in batches every month. “Many new electric buses will join the fleet as phase-out is being done every month,” he said.
Assuring that women would continue to enjoy free travel on public transport buses, Minister Singh guaranteed that he would ensure a turnaround in the loss-making Delhi Transport Corporation and oversee that it starts earning profit.
