West Bengal Government Declares August 16 as 'Ayushman Divas', Replaces TMC's 'Khela Hobey Divas'

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Tuesday that his government will observe August 16 as 'Ayushman Divas' to commemorate the central government's public health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat. This replaces the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's 'Khela Hobey Divas'.

The date also marks the completion of 100 days of the BJP-led government in the state, which came to power after defeating the TMC in the recent assembly elections.

Referring to the historical significance of the date, Mr. Adhikari said: 'August 16 is a black day in Kolkata's history since the Great Calcutta Killings were orchestrated under the leadership of Suhrawardy from this date. The previous TMC government observed it as Khela Hobey Divas. Our government has decided that the day will be observed as Ayushman Divas. The details of our programme will soon follow.'

The Great Calcutta Killings of August 16, 1946, were a series of communal riots between Hindus and Muslims, triggered by the Muslim League's Direct Action Day demanding the creation of Pakistan. An estimated 4,000 people died and over 10,000 were injured. The violence is widely seen as a turning point that hastened the partition of India.

The TMC government, under former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had instituted 'Khela Hobey Divas' in 2021 to celebrate the party's assembly election victory and promote sports among youth. The event featured football matches and distribution of sports equipment.

Mr. Adhikari also outlined the Ayushman Bharat scheme's benefits, stating that citizens above 70 years are automatically eligible, and others meeting criteria will be covered. He said the scheme will cover about 70% of beneficiaries, with the remaining 30% brought under the state's own health insurance scheme.

Responding to queries about the Annapurna direct cash transfer scheme for women, Mr. Adhikari said that over 1.2 crore women have received payments. He added that verification will continue until August 30, with eligible beneficiaries retained and ineligible ones removed.

On the upcoming Nandigram bypoll, Mr. Adhikari expressed confidence in the BJP's victory, citing his own win there by a margin of nearly 9,700 votes.