Delhi: Special vans to enrol senior citizens under health plan
Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday flagged off a fleet of registration vans from south Delhi's Munirka for doorstep registration of beneficiaries of the Delhi government's Vaya Vandana Yojana, aimed at providing cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh for senior citizens aged 70 and above.
A total of 70 mobile vans will cover all 70 assembly constituencies in the Capital to facilitate easy and doorstep registration.
'The Vaya Vandana Yojana is also an important step in advancing the Prime Minister's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. Building upon this vision, our government is launching mobile vans to issue health cards to senior citizens aged 70 and above, ensuring they don't need to stand in queues or visit offices. The Delhi government will deliver this service at their doorsteps,' the CM said at the flagging off event on Friday.
Officials said the vans will conduct on-the-spot registrations in local neighbourhoods. Every citizen aged 70 or more can obtain the Ayushman Vaya Vandana card simply by providing their Aadhaar and Delhi residence proof for registration.
Delhi government has enhanced the ₹5 lakh health coverage provided under Ayushman Bharat by an additional ₹5 lakh, ensuring a ₹10 lakh cashless treatment benefit for senior citizens aged 70 and above. 'No one will need to make any advance payments at hospitals. Just present the Ayushman card and get the treatment. The entire cost up to ₹10 lakh will be covered by the government,' CM Gupta said.
The Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana is a pension scheme for the city's elderly. Under the scheme, over 28,000 registrations have been made so far since April 28.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
It's still the fields as toilets in Nandurbar's tribal communities remain on paper
Nandurbar: Ranjana Sonawane, the first Aadhaar card holder, has got her Ladki Bahin dues that were held up over a mix-up in the bank last week, but she still has to battle the ordeal of not having a toilet facility and is forced to resort to open defecation. Other women from Tembhli in Nandurbar district still trek to the open fields before dawn for their ablutions. Bricks lined up for an unconstructed toilet block stand as a silent testament to unfulfilled government promises. "In the monsoon, it gets very difficult," Ranjana said with resignation in her voice. She points to a wall with small shrubs with thorns where the women are forced to go. Community toilets are non-functional and water nowhere to be found. Despite govt's ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which promised toilets for all, many tribal communities across Nandurbar district remain without sanitation facilities. Under the Swachh Bharat initiative, govt provides a financial incentive of Rs 12,000 per household for toilet construction, shared between central (Rs 7,200) and state governments (Rs 4,800). But there's a catch—the money is disbursed only after construction is complete. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Hyped Tecno Pova Curve 5G Starts at 15,999 TECNO Mobile Book Now Undo This reimbursement-based model has created a paradox for the district's poorest residents. They don't have the money to start building toilets before govt funds arrive. "We do not have money to meet our ends. Govt can give us money to construct the toilets," Ranjana said. Bharati, another resident from the village, said, "We do not have enough money to meet ends. How can we spend money on constructing a toilet?" The situation worsens in tribal hamlets in Dhadgaon and Akkulkuwa talukas in the district. Tribal women there have no clue about the scheme. "We are not aware of this govt scheme. We do not have water. How can we construct toilets?" says Shekhu Pawra, her weathered face reflecting years of hardship. Pulsingh Pawra said that their village Sawra Digar has no electricity, roads or even adequate water supply. "During summers, we have to queue up at the nearest lake which too dries up," he explains, highlighting the more fundamental infrastructural issues plaguing the region. Official data shows about 2.90 lakh households in Nandurbar district have benefited from the scheme, but thousands of applications remain "under assessment." A field officer from Nandurbar, who requested anonymity, said over 11,000 households in these areas have approached them saying that they do not have funds to construct toilet blocks. "The target is high and we have not been able to bridge this gap," he added. He explained that many beneficiaries are covered under PMAY (rural) where they have to construct their houses with toilets, and the state govt grants them a subsidy of around Rs 2 lakh for constructing their houses. In the district until last month, a little more than 1 lakh beneficiaries are listed under the scheme. Ranjana says she is not a direct beneficiary under PMAY rural scheme, but her son's name is on the list. However, they have no clue how and when they can start construction of a pucca house. Local administration officials said that Tembhli village with a population of over 3,000 has 275 independent toilets. A survey is going on, and the rest will be constructed, they added. District collector Mitali Sethi said that a survey is underway to determine how many toilets are constructed and how many are still awaiting construction. "Details are being mapped and I will look into it," she added. Villages across Dhadgaon and Akkalkuwa tehsils present a peculiar mix of homes without toilets and others with half-built structures abandoned due to insufficient funds. Even where toilets have been constructed, practical problems prevent their use. "There is no water. We travel long distances to get drinking water. It is unthinkable for us to use it for toilets," a resident of Dhadgaon taluka said, highlighting the interconnected nature of infrastructural challenges. BOX Promised Infrastructure A Long Way Off Throughout Nandurbar district, many completed toilet blocks stand repurposed as storerooms for firewood, fodder, or cooking utensils—a practical adaptation to an impractical solution. In January, under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Phase 2, the central government declared 95% of India's villages as ODF Plus (Open Defecation Free Plus), claiming a 460% surge from December 2022 to December 2024. For Maharashtra, official figures show about 60% of villages (24,746 of 40,247) have been verified as ODF Plus models, with another 6,305 categorized as "aspiring villages." Yet the ground reality in Nandurbar's remote hamlets tells a different story—one where the lack of upfront funding, water scarcity, and practical challenges continue to keep Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 sanitation promise out of reach for the most vulnerable communities, leaving women to continue their daily trek to the fields in search of privacy and dignity
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari meets Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, reviews National Highway projects
New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Wednesday. Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena was also present on the occasion. The Union Minister reviewed the progress of ongoing National Highway projects in Delhi with Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and CM Rekha Gupta. Other MPs and senior officials of the Delhi government were also present at the meeting. On June 3, launching the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced that from November 1, only BS-VI (Bharat Stage 6), CNG, or EV commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter the city. 'From November 1, 2025, any vehicle that comes to Delhi will have to be a BS6, CNG, or EV commercial vehicle,' Gupta said at a press conference. She said that the state government's dream is to chase 'clean, green and healthy Delhi', for which the Environment Ministry of Delhi has drafted an Air Pollution Mitigation Plan for this year. 'Environment Day is very close, and air pollution in Delhi is a matter that is related to all of us. For years, we have been suffering from air pollution. We have a dream - Clean Delhi, Green Delhi, Healthy Delhi. I am very happy that our Environment Department and Minister have drafted a fantastic Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025,' the Delhi CM said. Gupta said that the national capital would witness its first artificial rain 'very soon' with the help of cloud seeding techniques. 'Very soon, Delhi will have its first artificial rain through cloud seeding,' the CM said. She said the Delhi government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with science organisations to utilise innovative techniques to combat pollution. For cloud seeding and artificial rain, an MoU has been signed with IIT Kanpur as a pilot project. 'To reduce and eliminate pollution, we will sign MoUs with all our science organisations, which will use their latest innovations to help the Delhi government fight against pollution. For example, the Delhi government has signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur, which is based on cloud seeding and artificial rain, which we have approved to start as a pilot project,' Gupta said. The Delhi CM said the government was planning to install 'mist sprayers' in areas often categorised as pollution hotspots to manage dust particles. 'It will be mandatory to install anti-smog guns on all high-rise buildings, especially commercial buildings above 3,000 metres, malls, hotels, etc. and due to this, dust mitigation will be reduced in all of Delhi,' Gupta said. She said that the Delhi government also plans to install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at all entry points to the metropolitan city, which would allow the identification and stopping of end-of-life vehicles that spread pollution. 'We will install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at all the entry points of Delhi, which will be able to identify end-of-life vehicles, and as soon as the vehicle comes in the range of these cameras, it will be known that this vehicle is an end-of-life vehicle and is spreading pollution, so they will be traced and stopped immediately. These cameras will also be installed at all petrol pumps, and we will be able to detect end-of-life vehicles... Together, we can deal with the big problem of pollution in Delhi,' the Delhi CM said. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
Only clean fuel buses allowed in Delhi from November 2026, says CAQM
From 1 November 2026, only clean fuel buses running on CNG, electricity, or BS-VI diesel will be permitted to enter Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced on Wednesday. The move aims to reduce vehicular emissions in the capital, which continues to grapple with hazardous air quality during large parts of the year. Delhi's broader air pollution strategy The CAQM announcement follows Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's unveiling of a 25-point Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025. The plan outlines steps to combat Delhi's worsening air crisis, including the deployment of more than 5,000 electric buses and 2,299 e-autos by the end of the year. It also proposes the installation of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras to restrict entry of end-of-life vehicles into the city. 'Providing clean air to Delhi's citizens is not optional — it is our duty. This plan balances enforcement, innovation, and public engagement. It is not just a document, but a robust road map to protect the health of our citizens in the coming years,' Gupta said. New rules for buses entering the capital The CAQM directive applies to all buses entering Delhi, including those operating under All India Tourist Permit, contract carriage, institutional, and school bus permits — with the exception of those registered in Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India. Previously, the CAQM had asked neighbouring states — Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir — to transition to clean fuel buses by mid-2024 or early 2025. Many states, however, failed to meet the deadline. The commission has also instructed the Delhi Transport Department and Traffic Police to use ANPR systems at border entry points to enforce compliance and prevent unauthorised vehicle entry. Targeting Delhi's annual pollution crisis The clean fuel mandate and the 25-point mitigation plan are the latest responses to Delhi's chronic air pollution problem, which spikes during winter and is a major public health concern. The city has repeatedly ranked among the most polluted in the world, with thousands of deaths annually linked to poor air quality.
