Delhi HC questions mandate of ration card for financial aid under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

RAN provides financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line and who are suffering from major life threatening diseases, to receive treatment at any super speciality hospital or other government hospitals

The Delhi high court on Friday pulled up the authorities and questioned them about the need for a ration card to provide treatment to a 31-year-old woman, who is suffering from a rare blood disease, but is unable to avail financial assistance for her treatment under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) scheme for want of the document.

The petitioner said that her request to AIIMS for financial aid under the scheme was rejected on account of non-availability of a ration card. (Mint Archive)

Seeking the response of the Union government on the plea by the below poverty level cancer patient to declare the necessity of ration card as illegal and unconstitutional, justice Yashwant Varma observed that without a ration card, the petitioner would not get the benefit under RAN, which would defeat the scheme itself.

The court noted that Delhi has already reached its limit with respect to the issuance of ration cards and asked, “What happens to someone without a ration card?” It also observed that the woman will get crushed between the state government and the Centre.

“If you want to find out their family details, proof of residence, there are many other documents also. Why would be it imperative for her to have a ration card especially when the issuing authority has not given her one? In the absence of a ration card, she will not get insurance coverage. It defeats the scheme itself,” the court remarked verbally.

Delhi government counsel said that its representation to the central government seeking an increase in the limit imposed on the ration cards to be issued has been rejected.

The judge asked the Centre to respond to the plea which had challenged clause 7 of the scheme that mandated a ration card or income proof for the release of aid.

RAN provides financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line and who are suffering from major life threatening diseases, to receive treatment at any super speciality hospital or other government hospitals. The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of a ‘one-time grant’ which is released to the hospital concerned.

In her plea filed through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, the woman has said that her request to AIIMS for financial aid under the scheme was rejected on account of non-availability of a ration card.

The plea said that she needs blood and platelets from outside and since no medicine is working on her, the only way to save her life is through Immunomodulation which will cost around ₹15 lakh.

In the plea, the petitioner said the mandate under RAN to provide a ration card, besides an income certificate –when one of such document is sufficient to prove the financial status –is “arbitrary, discriminatory, unconstitutional, illegal, irrational, having no nexus with the object underlying therein, opposed to public policy and contrary to public interest”.

The plea added that on account of the Centre “not extending new ration cards beyond the limit of 72,77,995 persons”, the petitioner’s family could not be issued a new ration card for no fault of their own.

The matter would be heard next on August 31