Is my mother who is a pensioner allowed to get the "Arogya Karnataka" Benefits? Which health card can she avail being an APL ration cardholder?

In order to get full benefits of the Arogya Karnataka scheme, you should belong to the “Eligible Household” as defined under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Under this act, the ‘eligible households’ are defined under the following two categories:

1. Households covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY);
2. Households covered as the priority households under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
   • Exclusion Parameters to identify the Priority Households under National Food Security Act 2013 for urban areas are as below.
     • If the number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of household in 4 and above (dwelling rooms with wall of concrete or burnt bricks or stone packed with mortar, roof of concrete or burnt bricks or machine made tiles), that household will be excluded.
     • Households possessing any one of the following assets will be excluded:
       • 4-wheeler motorized vehicle
       • A.C. set
       • Computer/laptop with internet
     • Households possessing any 3 of the following assets will be excluded:
       • Refrigerator
       • Telephone (landline)
       • Washing machine
       • 2-wheeler motorized vehicle
     • Apart from the parameters defined by the Hashim Committee, the Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, has also excluded any household with any member as Government employee to fall under National Food Security Act 2013.

• The exclusion parameters  to identify the Priority Households under National Food Security Act 2013 for rural areas are as below: A household with any of the following will be excluded automatically:
  • Three or more rooms with all rooms having pucca walls and roof
  • Households with non-agricultural enterprises registered with the Government
  • Household with any member as Government employee
  • Any member of the family earning more than Rs. 10,000 per month
  • Paying income tax
  • Paying professional tax
  • Two/three/four wheeler or fishing boat
  • Mechanised three/four wheeler agricultural equipment
  • Kisan Credit Card with credit limit of Rs. 50,000 and above
  • Own a refrigerator
  • Own a landline phone
  • Own 2.5 acres or more of irrigated land with at least 1 irrigation equipment
  • 5 acres or more irrigated land for two or more crop seasons
  • Owning at least 7.5 acres of land or more with at least one irrigation equipment

So, from this, you can evaluate whether you will get full benefits under the Arogya Karnataka Scheme.

As your mother is a pensioner and holds an APL ration card, it is highly unlikely that she will be considered under the "Eligible Patient" list. She might be considered a "General Patient" as per Arogya Karnataka scheme.