The Supreme Court, on Friday, stayed the Delhi High Court’s December 2024 order directing Chief Minister Atishi Marlena’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) scheme in the national capital.
A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih issued a notice and sought the Central government’s reply to the Delhi government’s plea challenging the high court order.
Appearing for the Delhi government, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi asked how can the high court force the state government to sign the MoU with the Central government.
Singhvi told the bench that if the MoU is signed, the Centre will bear 60 per cent cost of the capital expenditure and the Delhi government to bear 40 per cent, but the Centre will not share any part of the expenditure on the running of the scheme.
Having flagged the issue of the fiscal component of running the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission scheme, he told the court that the reach and coverage of the Delhi government’s own health scheme is much larger.
The order of high court came while dealing with a suo motu PIL initiated in 2017 concerning the health infrastructure in government hospitals.
It was said non-implementation of the PM-ABHIM Scheme in Delhi, when 33 states and Union Territories have already implemented the same, would not be justified.