AAP Chandigarh slams exclusion of pre-April 2022 retirees and current employees from CGHS; calls it a blow to equality and justice
Chandigarh, November 11, 2025:
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chandigarh has strongly condemned the Chandigarh Administration’s confirmation that the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) benefits will remain restricted only to pensioners who retired after April 1, 2022. The clarification came in a letter issued by the Finance Department, Chandigarh Administration, in response to a representation submitted by AAP Chandigarh President Vijaypal Singh.
The decision, AAP said, has left thousands of retired and serving employees feeling “betrayed and neglected.” Despite repeated appeals for equal healthcare rights, the administration has chosen to uphold a policy that discriminates against those who retired before April 2022.
Calling the move “unjust, discriminatory, and insensitive,” Vijaypal Singh questioned the rationale behind such selective treatment. “What is the fault of those who retired before April 2022? They too served this administration with loyalty and dedication. Health protection is not a privilege it is a right earned through years of service,” he asserted.
He further expressed disappointment that even current employees have been denied CGHS coverage, terming it “unfortunate and deeply unfair.” The party noted that hundreds of senior citizens who spent their best years in service to the city are now being denied access to medical security when they need it most.
AAP Chandigarh said this policy exposes a lack of compassion and administrative apathy towards employees who built the very system the government now operates. “At a time when healthcare costs are rising and elderly citizens need more support, depriving them of medical coverage is both morally and administratively indefensible,” the party stated.
The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded that the decision be reviewed immediately, and that all pre-April 2022 retirees as well as serving employees be included under the CGHS scheme without delay. The party has urged the Chandigarh Administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene and restore justice to the affected employees. “We are not asking for privilege; we are asking for fairness,” said Vijaypal Singh. “Healthcare is a right that should belong equally to every employee who served this city whether they retired yesterday or a decade ago.”
AAP Chandigarh reaffirmed its commitment to continue raising this issue until the government ensures “equal healthcare access for every citizen” a principle that lies at the heart of both social justice and good governance.
Issued by:
Vikrant A. Tanwar
State Media Incharge
Aam Aadmi Party, Chandigarh
