CHANDIGARH, March 10 -- The Opposition Congress staged a walkout from the Haryana assembly on Monday during the ongoing budget session after chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the party was desperately trying to float a "false narrative" by portraying a "health emergency-like" situation in the state. Replying to a calling attention notice of the Congress, the chief minister said that allegations regarding irregularities in payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and claims that private hospitals have stopped treatment are completely baseless, factually incorrect, and far from the truth. In their joint calling attention notice, the Congress MLAs Ashok Kumar Arora, Bharat Bhushan Batra and Geeta Bhukkal stated that around 600 private hospitals in the state have stopped treatment and admissions under the Ayushman Bharat Haryana scheme as about Rs 700-800 crore amount is pending with the government. "This situation is creating a serious crisis for the general public...it has created a situation similar to serious health emergencies across the state...." the Congress leaders said. However, Saini dismissed as "baseless, factually incorrect, and far from the truth" the allegations of the Congress regarding irregularities in payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and claims that private hospitals have stopped treatment. "The opposition's attempt to portray a health emergency-like situation in the state is merely a politically motivated narrative," Saini said As the chief minister began repeatedly referring to how Congress dealt with health when in power, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda objected. Hooda advised Saini to speak at length about all the ills that afflicted the state during the Congress, but after that concentrate on what all the BJP government has been doing since 2014. Saini, however, kept taking digs at the Congress and finally the CLP leader along with other Congress legislators stormed out of the House raising slogans. Saini said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana on December 23, 2018, under which eligible families are provided health insurance coverage of up to Rs.5 lakh per family per year. The Chirayu Yojana was launched on November 21, 2022, through which the benefits of Ayushman Bharat were extended to Antyodaya families with an annual income of up to Rs.1.80 lakh. Under this scheme as well, health coverage of up to Rs.5 lakh per family is provided, and the entire cost is borne by the state government. Saini said in 2023-24, the scope of the Ayushman Bharat Chirayu scheme was further expanded to include families with an annual income between Rs.1.80 lakh and Rs.3 lakh. He said the Prime Minister has also ensured that senior citizens aged 70 years and above receive the benefits of the scheme. Saini said that as of January 22, 2026, a total of 784 private hospitals in Haryana are empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and that in 2025-26 fiscal empanelled private hospitals submitted a total of 5,91,863 claims. He said in 2024-25 fiscal private hospitals submitted claims worth Rs.1,236 crore out of which nearly Rs.1,100 crore has already been paid, reflecting about 89% claim settlement. He further stated that in the past three months alone, approximately Rs.250 crore has been released to empanelled hospitals. Under the Ayushman Chirayu Yojana, treatment for 27,42,306 people has been provided in the state, with claims amounting to Rs.3,862 crore already paid. "In the past five months, no beneficiary has lodged any complaint against a hospital refusing treatment under the Ayushman scheme due to non-payment. When beneficiaries themselves are not facing problems, it is difficult to understand where the opposition sees a health emergency," he said. Haryana health minister Arti Singh Rao on Monday said that the state government will ensure the attendance of doctors in government hospitals through biometric or geo-fencing systems. Responding to a question of Congress MLA, Mamman Khan MLA (Ferozepur Jhirka), she said that currently due to the poor condition of the doctors hostel at Al-Afia general hospital located in Mandi Khera village, which falls under the Ferozepur Jhirka assembly constituency, doctors have been permitted to reside in Gurugram, Faridabad and Rewari. She said that in future efforts will be made to arrange facilities so that doctors posted at this hospital can live in the vicinity of the hospital. The health minister said that Mandi Khera hospital has all major health facilities, including adequate staff, equipment and essential medicines. She said that medicines are procured at the state level through the Haryana Medical Services Corporation and supplied through designated warehouses. In response to another question, Rao said that a day-care cancer centre will soon be started in the newly created district of Hansi. Earlier, such centres have already been started in 22 districts. She said that dedicated cancer OPDs, chemotherapy wards and palliative care OPDs have been made operational in 22 districts, including Fatehabad. The Haryana assembly on Monday mourned the death of Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht, a fighter pilot of the IAF, who was killed in a Su-30 crash in Assam. The House also expressed sorrow over the death of seven women in Safidon of Jind district in a fire incident at a factory. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, who led the House in paying tributes, said that the untimely demise of IAF pilot Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht is an irreparable loss not only to the armed forces but to the entire nation. The House observed a two-minute silence in memory of all the departed souls....