Jalandhar / Bholath:-Senior Congress leader and MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, today strongly questioned the credibility and intent of the Bhagwant Mann led Aam Aadmi Party government’s announcement of a ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme, calling it a hollow and misleading promise in the face of Punjab’s severe financial distress.
Khaira reminded the government that the earlier Bhai Kanhiya Sehat Bima Yojana, which promised health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh, could not be effectively honoured as the Punjab government reportedly failed to pool its required share of funds. As a result, thousands of beneficiaries were left in the lurch, raising serious doubts about the government’s ability to deliver on an even more ambitious ₹10 lakh scheme.
“The Mann government must first explain why the ₹5 lakh Bhai Kanhiya health insurance scheme faltered due to non-availability of funds. If that promise could not be kept, how does the government expect the people of Punjab to believe this new ₹10 lakh announcement?” Khaira asked.
The MLA further pointed out that medical reimbursement bills of government employees remain pending for long periods due to lack of funds, causing immense hardship to serving employees and pensioners alike. He also highlighted that Dearness Allowance (DA) instalments of employees and pensioners have not been cleared for the last two years, reflecting the grim fiscal condition of the state.
Khaira said the financial crisis is evident across sectors be it delayed payments to contractors, mounting dues of power subsidies, or unpaid liabilities of various government departments. “Punjab today is drowning under a colossal debt of nearly ₹4.5 lakh crore. In such a scenario, grand announcements without financial backing amount to nothing more than political gimmickry,” he asserted.
He warned that without assured and sustained funding, the proposed health insurance scheme risks collapsing under its own weight, leaving hospitals unpaid and beneficiaries stranded, just like previous schemes.
Khaira demanded that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann come clean before the people of Punjab and place in the public domain a clear financial roadmap, detailing how the government proposes to fund this ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme amidst mounting debt, revenue shortfalls, and unpaid statutory dues.
“Healthcare is a serious subject and not a tool for headline management. Punjabis deserve honesty, not hollow promises that cannot be implemented on the ground,” Khaira concluded.