Modi govt deliberately weakening ECHS, says Col Rohit Chaudhry; party launches ‘Save ECHS’ campaign, warns of agitation if Rs 14,000 crore not released
NEW DELHI — The Congress has alleged that the Narendra Modi government was deliberately weakening the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) by starving it of funds and administrative support, adversely impacting treatment of ex-servicemen.
The party also announced the launch of a nationwide “Save ECHS” campaign to highlight the issue of pending medical bills and inadequate budgetary allocation for the scheme.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters here on Friday, Col (Retd) Rohit Chaudhry, Chairman of the party’s Ex-servicemen Department, warned that if Rs 14,000 crore is not released for ECHS by January 30, ex-servicemen will launch a major agitation in Delhi.
He stated that out of 72 lakh beneficiaries under ECHS, medical bills of more than 20 lakh ex-servicemen are pending, with outstanding dues exceeding Rs 9,000 crore.
The AICC Ex-Servicemen Department Chairman said the party would reach out to over 400 ECHS polyclinics across the country to collect data on pending bills as part of the month-long campaign.
According to Chaudhry, the scheme required Rs 13,500 crore in 2023–24, but received only Rs 9,831 crore, despite an existing backlog of Rs 3,500 crore.
The Congress claimed that the backlog rose to Rs 5,400 crore in 2024–25, and has touched nearly Rs 6,000 crore in the current financial year, forcing several empanelled hospitals to refuse treatment to ex-servicemen.
Citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Chaudhry said ECHS was launched in 2003 as a “Cashless and Capless” scheme, but is now facing a crisis due to shortage of funds, inadequate infrastructure and staff constraints. In its present form, it is neither a cashless nor a capless scheme, forcing beneficiaries to spend huge sums on treatment & medicine from their pocket and subsequently claim reimbursement, which is capped & doesn’t get paid for months.
He alleged that administrative powers of MD, ECHS have been also been withdrawn by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, weakening the scheme’s ability to act against defaulting hospitals.
The Congress demanded that ECHS be brought under the Chief of Defence Staff, restoration of its administrative powers, immediate clearance of all pending bills, and release of Rs 14,000 crore to make this scheme viable & sustainable.
The party also sought legislation mandating hospitals that received land at concessional rates to provide treatment to ex-servicemen on priority as covenant exists between soldiers & nation.
Chaudhry said that if the government fails to act within the stipulated timeframe, the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, would take the issue from the streets to Parliament and create a decisive movement involving defence community and citizens of the country.
