Health scheme stalls again, BRS attacks Congress

Faced with growing anger from state government employees, teachers and pensioners, BRS leaders on Wednesday, July 15 slammed the Congress government for missing yet another deadline to roll out health cards under the Employees Health Scheme, accusing it of collecting premiums without delivering services.

Cheated twice over, says Harish Rao

Former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao said the government had first promised to launch the scheme from June 2 and later shifted the deadline to July 15, but neither date was honoured.

He accused the government of deducting 1.5 percent from employees’ and pensioners’ salaries for May and June towards the EHS premium, even though guidelines had not been released and no agreement had been reached with network hospitals, calling it outright cheating. He said 30 months had passed without a Pay Revision Commission, without health cards, without dearness allowance instalments, and without any move to scrap the Contributory Pension Scheme, and alleged that retired employees distressed over pending pension dues had died by suicide.

He also accused the government of leaving journalists’ health cards unaddressed and threatening retired engineers with jail. Harish Rao demanded immediate issuance of health cards and refund of the deducted amount, warning that BRS would take up the fight on employees’ behalf if manifesto promises were not honoured.

MLC Dasoju Sravan flags hospital rate deadlock

BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan said the government had collected two months’ premium even before finalising treatment package rates with network hospitals, calling it proof of poor planning and financial mismanagement. He said nearly 14 lakh employee and pensioner families were being let down while the ruling party focused on political point-scoring, and accused corporate hospitals of abandoning their social responsibility.

Sravan demanded district-level monitoring committees to oversee implementation and check overcharging, and called for cashless card distribution to begin on a war footing, warning of strong resistance from employees if the government continued to delay.