MoU inked, Bengal finally comes under Ayushman Bharat ambit

📌 Summary:

• West Bengal became the last state to join Ayushman Bharat after an MoU was signed between the state and the National Health Authority (NHA) on Monday; Bengal had been the only holdout
• Scheme expected to cover ~1.43 crore households in Bengal — including 1.24 crore poorest households, 15.95 lakh persons aged 70+, and 3.06 lakh frontline health workers; Centre has released Rs 976 crore
• Crucially benefits ~1 crore migrant workers from Bengal who could not use the state's Swasthya Sathi card outside the state; the portable Ayushman card works pan-India
• Centre simultaneously resumed MGNREGS in Bengal (four years after suspension) — Rs 700+ crore released, labour budget approved only for June ahead of the new VB-G RAM G rural job scheme replacing MGNREGS from July 1
• Bengal to also get ~Rs 1,000 crore under PM Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY); PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) resumption allowed pending a fresh survey
• First tranche of Rs 527 crore under National Health Mission (NHM) released; earlier the state had also stayed away from Ayushman Arogya Mandir upgradation and HPV vaccination for girls

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Governance & Social Justice — cooperative federalism in scheme implementation, Centre-state friction over central schemes, portability of welfare benefits for migrant workers, universal health coverage

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme; implemented by National Health Authority (NHA)
• Swasthya Sathi: West Bengal's own state health insurance scheme (non-portable outside state)
• VB-G RAM G is set to replace MGNREGS from July 1; PMGSY targets all-weather rural road connectivity

🔑 Key Term: Benefit portability — the ability of a beneficiary to avail welfare entitlements (e.g., health cover) anywhere in India, crucial for inter-state migrant workers