Due to their inability to pay outstanding medical bills, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the attachment of the salaries of key officials, including the Principal Secretary of the Health Department. Hospitals in Punjab filed the lawsuit, backed by the Indian Medical Association, requesting that the state government return unpaid invoices related to the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
The Indian government had given the Punjab government Rs 350 crore, but the hospitals had not got any of it. The state government was directed by Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj to provide an affidavit outlining every payment made between December 30, 2021, and September 24, 2024. Senior officials’ wages, such as those of Principal Secretary, IAS, and Kumar Rahul, have been attached till further notice.
Only Rs 26 crore of the approximately Rs 500 crore in outstanding medical claims from hospitals registered under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme have been released. The Union government reimburses 60% of medical expenditures under the program, and the central government has already given Rs 355.48 crore, according to SP Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India. But neither the central monies nor the Punjab government’s 40% share had been released.
Judge Bhardwaj expressed amazement that the Punjab government, which had received Rs 350 crore from the central government, had not yet disbursed the cash. The court requested a thorough explanation of the use of the money obtained from the Indian government, including information on whether it was used for other reasons.
The Principal Secretary of Finance was also ordered by the court to provide an affidavit outlining the costs the state expended from December 2021 to September 2024. Expenses for advertising, indicating the states and languages used, remodeling homes and offices for Class-I officers and Ministers/MLAs, and buying new cars are all included in this.
The court also requested information on the amount spent on social welfare programs such as the Atta Dal Scheme and free power, in comparison to the budgeted allotment for the same time frame. The Punjab government’s possible misappropriation or misapplication of grants meant for particular purposes is being investigated by the High Court.
October 16 is the day of the case’s next hearing.
SOURCE :
INDIAN EXPRESS
