More than 1 core health cards under the 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' were issued in Bihar during a six-day special campaign from March 2, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said. The NDA government in the state has decided to provide "free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh every year to all ration card holders of the state under the Ayushman scheme", he said. "Issuance of Ayushman Bharat cards to 1.03 crore families in just six days (till 11 am of March 8) is a big achievement of our government in the state," the deputy chief minister told PTI.

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All ration card holders covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) get 5 kg of rice, and now, they will avail of free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh every year, Chaudhary said. "At present, around 1.2 crore families in the state are availing of Ayushman Bharat benefits. Now, 1.03 crore families, who are beneficiaries under the NFS Act, have also been added," said Chaudhary, who holds the health department portfolio.

According to data compiled by the state health department, the maximum number of Ayushman Bharat cards at 5,99,609 were issued in Siwan district in the six-day campaign, followed by 5,44,018 in Muzaffarpur, 5,00,292 in Patna and 4,72,977 in Madhubani. Districts where less than one lakh Ayushman Bharat cards were issued in the special campaign are Munger (99,984), Kishanganj (76,861), Sheikhpura (58,132) and Sheohar (47,288).

The Bihar cabinet headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had, in February, decided to extend the benefit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme to all ration card holders of the state. The 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' is a national public health insurance scheme of the central government, which aims at providing coverage for low-income earners in the country. It is a centrally sponsored scheme and is jointly funded by both the union government and the states.