Delhi HC seeks Centre's response on plea challenging requirement of ration card for availing benefits under RAN

New Delhi [India], July 22 : The Delhi High Court on Monday sought central government's response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging clause-7 of the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), through an office memorandum dated February 1, 2019 issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to the extent it mandates that possessing a ration card is mandatory for availing the benefits under the scheme.
The Petitioner Aakash Goel, a social activist through a plea sought direction to the respondent Union of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to relax the mandatory requirement of production of Food Security Card (Ration Card) for financial assistance under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi Scheme.
The bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, after noted the submissions, issued notice to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Government of NCT Delhi and listed the matter for detail hearing on Novena 25, 2024.
Plea stated that Office Memorandum dated February 1, 2019 was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Health & Family Welfare for issuing the Guidelines pursuant to the implementation of the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN).
It was submitted that the aforesaid scheme envisaged three components namely - Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, Health Minister's Patients Fund (HMCPF) and the Scheme for Financial Assistance for patients suffering from specified rare diseases.
It stated that the impugned Guidelines inter alia stated that for the purpose of availing financial support by the destitute patients under the Umbrella Scheme of RAN the Applicant under Clause 7 of the said guidelines shall be in possession of Income Certificate and Ration Card.
It is submitted that Clause 7 elucidated under the aforementioned Scheme is unlawful, arbitrary, discriminatory and perverse. It is pertinent to mention that as stated/asserted in the foregoing paragraphs, since 2016, the Government of NCT of Delhi has imposed an embargo upon the issuance of new Ration Cards unless the existing cardholder has either died or cancelled or forfeited or surrendered their ration card.
Thus, no new Ration Cards have been issued by the Government of NCT of Delhi. Hence several destitute patients who are in desperate need of receiving financial aid and benefits under the RAN scheme for their treatment are being arbitrarily denied solely on the ground of non-possession of a Ration Card, stated the plea.
Therefore, in view and sequitur of the aforementioned facts and circumstances, it is hereby submitted that the aforementioned Guideline to the extent of conditions specified under Clause 7 pursuant to possession of Ration Card is both deplorable and unwarranted and further de hors benevolent purpose of the scheme for which it was implemented, the plea read.