Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and BJP legislators clashed on Friday over alleged irregularities in the Himcare scheme during the BJP’s tenure, flagged by the CM during his reply to the budget discussion on Wednesday.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the Chief Minister of making unverified claims about a scam in the scheme.
“The CM said a scam worth Rs 1,100 crore had taken place in the Himcare scheme. I want to ask how he arrived at this figure when no inquiry has been conducted so far,” Thakur said after Question Hour.
The BJP boycotted the Question Hour after the speaker did not allow it to raise the issue beforehand.
Thakur added that his government had spent a total of Rs 441 crore on the scheme, questioning how the present government could claim a scam of Rs 1,100 crore. “We demand an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the matter,” he said.
Responding to the Opposition, the Chief Minister said the alleged scam was around Rs 100 crore, not Rs 1,100 crore. “Rs 1,100 crore is the total expenditure incurred on the scheme so far. Referring to it as the scam amount was a slip of the tongue,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the error, Sukhu maintained that irregularities had occurred. “An internal audit report flagged issues in billing and operations, including questionable medical claims such as ovarian surgery for a male patient and the use of expired eye lenses,” he said.
The CM also alleged that the scheme was poorly implemented under the previous government, citing irregularities in the empanelment of private hospitals and inflated billing.
He reiterated that the government had not discontinued the Himcare scheme but was working to improve it. “If we find a better alternative, we may replace Himcare,” he added.