Daijiworld Media Network - Mohali

Mohali, Jan 22: Delivering on a key poll promise, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Thursday launched the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna (MMSY) in Punjab, guaranteeing cashless medical treatment worth up to Rs 10 lac for every family in the state. The scheme was formally inaugurated by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

With MMSY coming into effect, residents of Punjab will now have access to treatment at even the most expensive private hospitals—facilities that were once beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. The move marks a significant expansion of public welfare and healthcare access in the state.

Punjab has now emerged as the first state in India to offer a comprehensive welfare framework that includes free healthcare, free education, free electricity, and free bus travel for women. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal said while opposition parties remain preoccupied with political infighting, only AAP is focused on securing Punjab’s future.

As part of the launch event, Kejriwal and CM Mann distributed Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna cards to selected beneficiaries, symbolising the scheme’s rollout across the state.

Calling the day historic, Kejriwal said the initiative was long overdue. “This is not just a milestone for Punjab, but for the entire country. The kind of work being done today should ideally have started in 1950,” he remarked.

He added that the freedom struggle was not fought merely to replace colonial rulers with local governments that failed to serve the people. “Over the last 75 years, governments changed, promises were made, but the public interest was largely ignored,” he said.

Reflecting on Punjab’s troubled past, Kejriwal noted phases of terrorism and drug abuse, but expressed confidence that the current period would be remembered positively. “The last four years will be written in golden letters in the history of Punjab and India,” he said.

Recalling election-time commitments, Kejriwal said healthcare was one of the core “Kejriwal Guarantees.” “People were sceptical then, but today we are delivering,” he said, highlighting that while previous governments collectively set up around 400 primary health centres over decades, the current administration has established 1,000 Mohalla Clinics in just four years, with another 500 under construction.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the scheme was rooted in the state’s inclusive ethos and inspired by the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. He announced that health cards will be issued to all 65 lakh families, benefiting nearly three crore people across Punjab.

“For the first time, there is no income ceiling for a healthcare scheme in the state,” Mann said, stressing that MMSY is designed to serve every section of society without discrimination.

“With this initiative, Punjab has set a new national benchmark,” the Chief Minister added, reiterating that the state now leads the country in delivering a broad spectrum of free public services aimed at improving quality of life.