ECHS scheme faces collapse: Congress

The Congress on Friday claimed that the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) is on the verge of collapse due to the Modi Government's failure to allocate adequate funds for it.  Flagging concerns, the head of the Congress's ex-servicemen department, Col Rohit Chaudhry (retd), urged the Centre to allocate Rs 14,000 crore annually for the scheme.  “Soldiers have the assurance that after their retirement, the Government will take care of them and their families.

But the Modi Government is trying to betray this trust. The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was launched in 2003 for ex-servicemen. It was said that it would be a cashless scheme,” Chaudhry said. Citing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Chaudhry claimed that while the number of ex-servicemen is increasing, the Government has neither created the necessary infrastructure nor increased the allocation of funds accordingly.

 “The CAG report states that there is a shortage of personnel in the Army, which should be addressed as soon as possible. Also, the ECHS is on the verge of complete collapse. In 2023-24, Rs 13,500 crore was needed, but only Rs 9,831 crore was received,” Chaudhry claimed.