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Financial ‘irregularities’ in Himachal health scheme; Men billed for ovarian surgery
CM Sukhu orders vigilance probe; LoP Jai Ram Thakur says data cooked to scrap Himcare, the welfare scheme launched by his BJP govt 7 years ago.
The Himachal Pradesh assembly witnessed a heated exchange between chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and leader of the opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur over alleged financial irregularities in the state’s flagship Himcare health scheme.
While Jai Ram accused the Congress government of using false data to dismantle the scheme out of political vendetta, Sukhu defended his administration, citing internal audit findings that flagged fraudulent billing, including ovarian surgeries billed for male patients.
The Mukhya Mantri Himachal Health Care Scheme (Himcare) was launched on January 1, 2019, by the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government to provide cashless treatment of up to ₹5 lakh a year to families excluded from the central Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Jai Ram demands judicial probe
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Jai Ram alleged the government was giving misleading data to justify shutting down the health initiative under the guise of “corrections”.
He demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the Himachal Pradesh high court into Himcare’s implementation under both the previous BJP regime and the present Congress government.
“From the very beginning, we have said that if there has been any misuse, it should be investigated and strict action should be taken against those responsible. But instead of a vigilance probe, a High Court sitting judge should conduct the inquiry. We are ready to face any investigation,” Jai Ram said.
He further rejected the CM’s claims of large-scale corruption. He said that during the BJP’s tenure, a total of ₹441 crore was spent on the scheme. “If the total expenditure was ₹441 crore, how can there be corruption of ₹1,100 crore? This is completely false and misleading,” Jai Ram argued.
He countered that the Sukhu-led Congress government has already spent over ₹900 crore while leaving liabilities pending, and is citing corruption to scrap the scheme.
He also flagged concerns over inflated medical procurement rates. “Without any proper investigation, the government is trying to shift blame and mislead the House,” Jai Ram said.
Later talking to the media, Jai Ram demanded an apology from CM Sukhu for presenting “misleading” figures on alleged corruption. “He has misled the House, misled the media, and misled the people of the state. He should apologise,” he added.
Accusing the government of trying to build a narrative to shut the scheme, he said, “Whatever the CM is saying is only to defame the scheme and create grounds to close it. Statements are being made as if addressing a public rally, not the assembly, where facts and data should be presented.”
“From the very beginning, we have said that if there has been any misuse, it should be investigated and strict action should be taken against those responsible. But instead of a vigilance probe, a High Court sitting judge should conduct the inquiry. We are ready to face any investigation,” he said.
CM cites billing discrepancies
Responding to the charges, Sukhu announced that the state vigilance department has been ordered to probe the matter. He asserted that a health department internal audit had unearthed “alarming facts”.
Citing specific discrepancies, Sukhu alleged that bills were generated for procedures like ovarian surgeries in the names of male patients.
He said that of the total payments made, irregularities worth over ₹110 crore are currently under active scrutiny. The CM later clarified that the ₹1,100 crore figure mentioned earlier was a reference to the total expenditure, acknowledging it might have been a slip of the tongue.
However, he emphasised that the government does not intend to scrap the scheme entirely. “We are committed to the welfare of the people. Based on the audit findings, necessary corrections will be made and a new, improved scheme will be brought forward,” Sukhu added, appealing to the opposition to bring forward specific cases of corruption for strict action.
Jai Ram maintained that presenting inconsistent data to the House was unfortunate and sought a concrete assurance on the continuity of the health scheme.
Later speaking to the media, CM Sukhu rejected allegations made by the opposition over the Himcare scheme, asserting that no decision has been taken to shut the scheme.
“We have not taken any decision to shut the scheme at present, the government is exploring ways to strengthen healthcare delivery in the future. In the coming time, we may think about how to provide treatment facilities to around 75 lakh people of the state in a better way,” he said.
“We are considering moving towards an insurance-based model and studying systems adopted by other states so that proper auditing can be ensured. Himcare has not been audited so far, and that is also a concern we are addressing,” he said.
“I have directed a vigilance inquiry into the matter. So far, investigations at two places, including Tanda, have indicated irregularities worth about ₹110 crore involving payments to private hospitals. Another agency has also been asked to look into how public money was misused,” he added.
4.33 lakh families benefit from the Himcare scheme
Meanwhile, replying to a question by BJP MLAs Jeet Ram Katwal and Lokinder Kumar, health minister Dhani Ram Shandil told the House that 4.33 lakh families benefit from the Himcare scheme and 37,819 beneficiaries are covered under the Sahara scheme.
He further added that liabilities amounting to ₹391.27 crore are currently pending with hospitals associated with the Himcare Scheme.
In the last three years, till January 31, as many as 2,23,282 new families were added to the Himcare Scheme and 13,384 new beneficiaries were added to the Sahara Scheme, he added.
