Jharkhand: Lawyers to get Health Insurance Cards on May 3

Jamshedpur: In a significant step toward welfare and inclusivity, the Hemant Soren-led government of Jharkhand is set to distribute health insurance cards to registered advocates under the Advocate Health Insurance Scheme on May 3. The initiative is being hailed as a pro-people move that underscores the state government’s commitment to the legal fraternity.

Advocate Sudhir Kumar Pappu, addressing members of the legal community, stated that the scheme’s launch is a strong response to detractors who previously dismissed such welfare initiatives as mere political gimmicks. “This is a slap in the face of those who, influenced by political opposition, maligned the Chief Minister and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha,” he said.

He highlighted that the Hemant Soren government had earlier made significant contributions to the Advocate Welfare Fund, provided grants, and even announced stipends for young and newly enrolled advocates. However, according to Pappu, some members of the legal fraternity, influenced by ideological biases, had rejected these moves as election-driven optics.

“Despite negative campaigning within the Bar Association by some lawyers, the Hemant Soren government came back with a strong majority,” Pappu emphasized. “Now, by implementing the health insurance scheme on the ground, the government has proved its commitment to advocate welfare goes beyond politics.”

Under the new scheme, registered advocates listed with the Jharkhand Advocate Welfare Fund Trust Committee will be eligible for health insurance coverage. The cards will be formally distributed on May 3 in a state-level program at Harivansh Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium, Hotwar, Ranchi, beginning at 11:30 AM.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren is expected to personally hand over the insurance cards to the lawyers during the event.

The inclusion of advocates in the state’s broader welfare framework has been welcomed by several members of the legal community, who view it as a long-awaited acknowledgment of the profession’s contributions.