The issue of fake Ayushman card has become hot in Himachal Pradesh. The target is Congress MLA RS Bali. Indeed, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 19 locations. Besides Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, Una in Himachal Pradesh, there are many places in Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab. Several hospitals have been accused of violating scheme rules. According to the ED, many medical bills were generated through these fake cards, causing loss to the government exchequer and the public.
RS Bali, Congress MLA from Nagarota, Himachal, Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, Vice Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, Dr. associated with Shri Balaji Hospital, Kangra. A search operation was also conducted at the locations of Rajesh Sharma.
What did the officials say?
Officials said the ED team raided 19 locations including Shimla, Kangra, Una, Mandi and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, besides locations located in Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab. He said that apart from Nagarota MLA Bali, raids were also conducted at Fortis Hospital in Kangra (the promoter of which is Bali-based company Himachal Healthcare Pvt Ltd), Balaji Hospital premises and its promoter Rajesh Sharma in Kangra.
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According to officials, Rajesh Sharma is considered close to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. He gave ticket to Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur in the recent assembly by-election from Dehra seat. Kamlesh won in the by-election. Bali is also the chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and the vice-chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board.
What is the whole matter?
This is a case of money laundering. This came to light in January 2023. The case is based on an FIR filed by the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau against Kiran Soni, Una-based Shree Banke Bihari Hospital and others for making fake AB-PMJAY (Arogya Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) cards.
The ED has alleged that several medical bills were generated on such fake cards, causing loss to the government exchequer and the public, and the total proceeds of crime in the case are estimated at Rs 25 crore. The agency has learned that a total of 8,937 Ayushman Bharat Gold Cards have been canceled in the state so far for alleged violations of rules in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The ED alleged that Bank Bihari Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Shree Balaji Hospital, Sood Nursing Home and Shree Harihar Hospital, among others, received illegal benefits under the AB-PMJAY scheme. The ED claims that the list of such fake beneficiaries includes Rajneesh Kumar and Pooja Dhiman, who denied having PMJAY cards issued to them or having any information about them. The ED said the accused hospitals made claims of treatment, surgery, admissions which were never actually provided to the patients.
