Shimla, March 27 Irregularities, including bills for male ovarian surgeries and the use of expired lenses, have surfaced in an internal audit of the Himcare scheme, prompting a vigilance investigation, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told the Assembly on Friday.
The chief minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, clashed after the question hour when Thakur raised the issue of Himcare and claimed that Sukhu was providing incorrect figures. However, the chief minister refuted the allegations and assured that strict action would be taken against those found guilty after investigation.
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.
The Leader of the Opposition said that the chief minister had earlier stated a Rs 1,100 crore scam in the Himcare scheme, of which Rs 100 crore pertain to a particular medical institution and said that an amount of Rs 441 crore was spent on the scheme during his tenure. "So how can a scam of Rs 1100 crore surface?"
He also questioned on what basis the chief minister came to a conclusion and made the allegation when investigations are yet to be conducted?
Thakur informed the house that reports have been published in newspapers with a Rs 1,100 crore scam headline and demanded an apology from the chief minister.
He added that during the BJP's regime, the average amount spent on a patient was Rs 11,000, which has increased to Rs 14,000 during the tenure of the present Congress government.
The Congress government is defaming the scheme in an attempt to stop the Himcare scheme, he claimed.
Chief Minister Sukhu responded to the allegations and said that the BJP is worried after the vigilance enquiry and clarified that the scam is of Rs 100-120 crore, while the total payments were of Rs 1,100 crore.
"The internal audit report has pointed to a possible scam with irregularities like bills for male ovarian surgeries and the use of expired lenses, and the government would not tolerate any instance of corruption, and strict action would be taken against those found guilty", Sukhu said.
The chief minister said that while numerous private hospitals were empanelled under the scheme, it was not implemented in the manner originally intended.
He also affirmed that any irregularities regarding the procurement of medicines or other procedural matters would also be subject to investigation.
Sukhu added that the government's objective is not to discontinue the scheme, but rather to streamline it and, if deemed necessary, consider introducing a new healthcare scheme.
Delivering a special statement in the House, Jairam Thakur demanded that the investigation into the Himcare scheme be conducted by a sitting judge of the High Court to ensure an impartial inquiry into the entire matter.