The Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Aarogya scheme is Maharashtra’s flagship health insurance program that provides cashless services for identified diseases through a network of service providers from the government and private sectors.
The scheme was formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana and was launched in 2012. According to the government resolution, beneficiaries from the 865 villages with certain types of ration cards can now avail the benefits of the scheme at any hospital affiliated with the program.
The Maharashtra government has also approved affiliating 140 more hospitals from the eight border districts and has sanctioned the enrollment of 10 hospitals for Marathi-speaking individuals from the four districts in Karnataka.
The ongoing border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka may escalate further as the former has issued directions to extend the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Aarogya scheme to residents of 865 villages in four districts of Karnataka. Maharashtra claims ownership of these villages, and the legal battle is currently pending in the Supreme Court. This move by Maharashtra is likely to increase political tensions in Karnataka, especially since the state is set to go to the polls on May 10.
Last year, tensions over the border row had escalated to a boiling point, which resulted in Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervening and holding a meeting with the chief ministers of both states to reach a truce for the time being.