New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Monday said that the Vay Vandan Yojana which fulfils a promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will provide health benefits worth up to Rs 10 lakh to each eligible beneficiary.

While speaking to ANI, Chahal said, 'PM Narendra Modi had promised Delhi to give benefits of the Ayushman Yojana... The Vay Vandan Yojana, which will provide a benefit worth Rs 10 lakh to each beneficiary, is set to be implemented from today... The Delhi government had allocated a budget of Rs 2140 crores for this scheme.'

Under the program, every senior citizen aged 70 and above will be eligible to avail themselves of comprehensive health coverage. Earlier, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced that the 'Ayushman Vay Vandana Card' will be made available to eligible senior citizens of Delhi from April 28, helping to reduce the medical expenses of families and alleviate their concerns.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta distributed Ayushman Bharat cards to eligible senior citizens under the Pradhan Mantri Vay Vandana Yojana at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.

In October last year, Prime Minister Modi announced the expansion of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to include all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. Under the expansion, all senior citizens aged 70 years and above are receiving the 'Ayushman Vay Vandana Card', which will enable them to avail of healthcare benefits.

The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card offers a free health cover of Rs 5 lakh to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their socio-economic status. Senior citizens aged 70 years and above, who are already covered under the AB PM-JAY scheme, receive an additional top-up cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year for themselves.

Senior citizens, who are already availing benefits of various government schemes including Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have to choose between their existing scheme or can opt for AB PM-JAY. Additionally, persons covered by private health insurance coverage or members of the Employees' State Insurance scheme are eligible to benefit from AB PM-JAY. (ANI)