Overview
- In a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the opposition leader urged immediate clearance of ECHS dues and the withdrawal of a Finance Bill 2026 measure to tax disability pensions for personnel retained in service.
- He cited more than ₹12,000 crore in unpaid ECHS medical bills and said the current budget allocation is nearly 30% below the scheme’s requirement.
- Gandhi said private hospitals are opting out of the ECHS network because of prolonged non-payment, undermining cashless treatment for veterans.
- He reported veterans are paying out of pocket or postponing care for serious illnesses, including cancer, due to disrupted services.
- Calling the proposal a departure from long-standing policy, he said this would mark the first taxation of disability pensions since 1922 and noted he also copied Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the appeal; no ministry response was reported.