PM to launch Ayushman Bharat two days before schedule date due to Pitra Paksha

New Delhi, Sep 22: One of the most ambitious projects of the Narendra Modi government, Ayushman Bharat Scheme will now be launched on September 23 from Ranchi that is two days before it was originally scheduled to be launched.

The scheme was scheduled to be launched on September 25 that happens to be the birth anniversary of Bharatiya Janata Party ideologue Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay. But interestingly change in the date of launching this programme has been attributed to inauspicious days of Pitra Paksha.

Sources said that the PM announced launching of this programme on August 15 that this would be launched on September 25. Sources said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sent a message to the government that launching of this biggest healthcare scheme of the world by the government during the inauspicious day was not proper so the sudden rescheduling has been done.

Actually the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not allow the party to deliberate upon it. So in the beginning of September, the government changed its strategy and started giving launch date from September 25 to 23. As per sources, Pitra Paksha will start from September 25 to October 8. Prime minister's September 23 programme was pre-scheduled therefore it was decided to launch Aayushman Bharat Scheme from Ranchi. During the launch of this programme Union health minister J P Nadda, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das and Minister of state for health Anupriya Patel will be present.

Sources said that the Prime Minister will launch this scheme from Prabhat Tara ground of Ranchi. The PM will reach Ranchi at 11.30. Earlier the launch of this programme was planned at 1 PM and the PM was scheduled to reach at 2 but as per Jyotish calculation now it will start 10 AM. The PM will reach at the programme venue at 11.30.

Under this Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme 50.74 crore poor people will be provided Rs five lakh's insurance, which is 40 per cent of the population of the country. Around 26 states including Karnataka will start while rest of the state will join the programme gradually. Delhi will not join it. Around 15000 private and government hospitals expressed their willingness to join this programme that included 800 private hospitals. In the current financial year Rs 3500 crore will be spent on this.