Bengal to align with Ayushman Bharat from today, says CM Suvendu Adhikari after first cabinet meet

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the state would align with the Centre’s flagship health insurance programme, Ayushman Bharat, as the newly formed BJP government rolled out a series of administrative and governance decisions at its first cabinet meeting.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting at Nabanna, Adhikari said Bengal would work with the Union health ministry to implement Ayushman Bharat from Monday itself, while also integrating several central welfare schemes into the state’s governance framework.

The cabinet approved six major decisions during the meeting. Among them was a proposal to provide social security and state support to families affected by atrocities and political violence.


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The government also initiated the process of transferring land required by the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing and management. Adhikari said the required land would be handed over within 45 days.

Apart from the rollout of Ayushman Bharat, the state also decided to implement multiple flagship central schemes, including PM Jan Arogya Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana and PM Ujjwala Yojana, as part of what the chief minister described as Bengal joining the BJP’s “double-engine growth plan”.

The cabinet further decided that IAS and IPS officers from the West Bengal cadre would be sent for central government training programmes, which Adhikari claimed had not been utilised under the previous administration.

In a significant legal and administrative shift, the state government also decided to adopt the new criminal law framework, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), replacing older criminal procedures that remained in force under the previous regime.

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Adhikari also announced that a population census exercise would begin in West Bengal as part of efforts to update demographic and administrative records.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister chaired a high-level administrative review meeting at Nabanna with Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala, Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, Director General of Police Sidh Nath Gupta and Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand to assess the law and order and governance situation in the state.

In a post on X, Adhikari said the meeting focused on “key administrative priorities to ensure the safety and prosperity of every citizen in West Bengal” and reiterated the government’s commitment to “transparent and efficient governance”.

The state government also approved a five-year age relaxation for candidates applying for government jobs.

Adhikari said another cabinet meeting would be held next Monday to discuss issues related to administration, pay commission dues, pending arrears, dearness allowance and women’s safety.

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Senior BJP leaders including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, Nisith Pramanik were present in the meeting.

The chief minister also thanked voters, Election Commission officials, police personnel and the media for what he called the “first election in Bengal without violence and fear”. He paid tribute to “321 people who gave up their lives for the rise of BJP in Bengal”.

“The responsibility we have taken on, the media will play a crucial role,” Adhikari said.