12-08-2025
State withholding Ayushman Bharat for Over-70s, says MP
Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta on Monday told the Lok Sabha that Karnataka's refusal to fund its share of the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has left senior citizens in the state without free healthcare.
Speaking under Rule 377, Chowta said the scheme, launched last year by the Narendra Modi government, provides citizens aged 70 and above with cashless hospital treatment up toRs5 lakh annually. 'The Karnataka government's refusal to contribute 40% of the cost has effectively stalled its rollout in the state, depriving lakhs of elderly people of critical, life-saving care,' he said.
In the Mangaluru region alone, Chowta noted, about 80,000 senior citizens are unable to access the benefit. He urged the Union government to act swiftly to protect the health rights of Karnataka's elderly and ensure that the state implements the popular scheme in full.
