CM Reviews Sahara and Himcare Schemes, Orders Local Audit and Tech-Driven Reforms.
Shimla:
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday conducted a comprehensive review of the Chief Minister Sahara Scheme and the Himcare Scheme, reaffirming the State Government’s commitment to strengthening the health sector and ensuring that welfare benefits reach only eligible beneficiaries.
During the review meeting, the Chief Minister directed that a local audit of the Sahara Scheme be undertaken to enhance transparency and accountability. He announced that a three-member committee would be constituted in each district to verify the eligibility of beneficiaries under the scheme, ensuring that financial assistance is provided strictly as per norms.
Highlighting that health remains a top priority for the State Government, CM Sukhu said continuous efforts are being made to streamline systems and improve service delivery. He directed officials to link beneficiaries of the Sahara Scheme with the Him Parivar Portal to enable better monitoring and integration of welfare data. He also issued necessary guidelines regarding key parameters and budgetary provisions under the Himcare Scheme.
The Chief Minister further stated that beneficiary verification at the time of registration under the Himcare Scheme would now be carried out through face recognition technology. For this purpose, the Departments of Health and Digital Technologies & Governance have been issued appropriate directions to ensure smooth implementation.
Emphasizing data-driven governance, CM Sukhu said that detailed analysis of Himcare Scheme data would be conducted to assess the prevalence of various diseases in the state. This, he added, would support evidence-based policy formulation and targeted interventions in the health sector. He also directed the authorities to expedite the clearance of pending payments to private hospitals under the Himcare Scheme and announced that permission would be granted for treatment in private wards of government health institutions under the scheme.
Reiterating the vision of a “Healthy Himachal,” the Chief Minister said the State Government has established several advanced healthcare facilities to provide quality treatment closer to people’s homes. These include robotic surgery, the State Cancer Institute, PET scan and SPECT scan facilities. He added that initiatives such as 70 Model Health Institutions, the Rogi Mitra Scheme, Wellness Centres, and the Trauma Centre at IGMC Shimla are significant steps towards making the health sector self-reliant and people-centric.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (Innovation, Digital Technologies and Governance) Gokul Butail, Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, Secretary Health Priyanka Basu Ingty, and senior officers of the Health Department.
