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Himachal CM Sukhu renews HIMCARE fraud charge against BJP
During the tenure of the previous government, instances of misappropriating funds through the creation of fraudulent bills under the HIMCARE scheme have come to light, said the Himachal CM
In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reiterated allegations of large-scale irregularities in HIMCARE – a flagship scheme of the previous Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government, while accusing the saffron party of indulging in “mere politics” instead of standing with the people of the state.
“During the tenure of the previous government, instances of misappropriating funds through the creation of fraudulent bills under the HIMCARE scheme have come to light,” alleged Sukhu on Wednesday while talking to media in Shimla after his return from Assam.
“Records show surgeries on ‘men’s uteruses, an organ in the female reproductive system. This is extremely serious and regrettable. We have already detected four such cases. The government is currently conducting a comprehensive inquiry,” said Sukhu.
“An internal audit had pointed to a scam of around ₹110 crore. We will bring the truth before the public,” he asserted.
He added that in the wake of irregularities in the HIMCARE scheme, the Himachal Pradesh government is working on replacing it with a new insurance-based model.
The HIMCARE scheme, launched during the tenure of the previous BJP government, provides free healthcare services to low-income individuals, who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Jan Arogya Yojana.
Refuting the allegations, leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had previously said that the Congress government was making excuses to shut the scheme.
Accusing the CM of giving inaccurate facts regarding “hysterectomies on men”, he claimed that medicines in question were actually used in the treatment of cancer patients.
‘BJP did not stand with the state’
The chief minister further charged the BJP with failing to support Himachal Pradesh on the issue of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG).
“The BJP is only doing politics. They did not stand with the people of Himachal Pradesh on the RDG, which is a rightful claim of the state,” said Sukhu on the sidelines of inauguration of the South Asian Table Tennis Youth Championship 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.
Targeting the BJP further, Sukhu alleged that the Opposition was politicising the issue of Panchayat elections. He reiterated that elections to Panchayats and urban local bodies will be conducted before May 31, saying, “We have already clarified this in the assembly.” BJP has been constantly accusing the state government of deliberately delaying the panchayat polls.
Countering BJP’s claims that the Congress derailed Himachal from the development path in the last three years and the state was under severe economic stress, with the government continuously relying on loans to sustain its functioning, the chief minister said his government was making sustained efforts to strengthen the economy and had already begun seeing positive results. “We are committed to improving the financial health of the state and moving towards self-reliance,” he said.
Sukhu further said that fiscal discipline measures being undertaken by the government should not be misconstrued as budget cuts, but rather as steps aimed at strengthening the state’s economic foundation.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment, the CM said, “The decisions we are taking today will strengthen the economy of Himachal Pradesh in the long run.”
