December 8, 2025
Saket Gokhale’s speech on The Health Security Se National Security Cess Bill 2025, comparing Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman Bharat
Sorry! No, Sir, it is English.Sir, I wish to thank, first of all, my Party, All India Trinamool Congress, and my leaders, Ms. Mamata Banerjee and Shri Abhishek Banerjee, for giving me the chance to speak on the Health Security to National Security Cess Bill, 2025. Sir, the name of this Bill is Health Security Se National Security Cess. Keep it in English or keep it in Hindi; Pahele Hindi mein tha, then, you are doing it in English and now you are doing it in Hinglish. If you want to be inclusive, then, maybe, bring a Bill, Bengal elections are coming, named in Bangla as well; we will also celebrate it. Sir, this House is called the Council of States. We are all here representing the interests of various States of India. Therefore, it is atrocious when this Government keeps bringing Bills like this, which mounted direct attack on our federalism. This Bill is about a cess. What exactly is a cess, Sir? Cess is a levy imposed by the Union Government, which is not shared with States. The entire money goes to the Union Government. Cess is not divisible. Under Article 270 of our Constitution, the Government has the permission to levy a cess, but it says that the cess has to be levied only for a very specific purpose. Sir, I extensively read this Bill top to bottom. There is absolutely no mention of any health
security or national security measure on which this money is going to be spent. Sir, I was listening to the hon. Finance Minister. While introducing the Bill, she made a commitment in the first one minute. She said that this cess is on a demerit good and it won’t be imposed on any essential or non-demerit goods in the future. This is very interesting because if you look at Schedule-1 of the Bill, it describes items which are specified goods on which this new cess will be charged. But, then, Sir, in Section 34 of the Bill, it says that the Central Government can add any items to Schedule-1 whenever it thinks it is expedient or necessary in public interest. Right now, it is pan masala and machines to do that. But according to Section 34 of the Bill, I am not contesting the hon. Finance Minister, the Bill they have brought here says that tomorrow the Government can decide to put anything in the list of specified items. Who says, it can’t be an essential good? Who says it can’t be a demerit good? The Bill doesn’t clarify that. Sir, then, there is a very interesting part which makes a … of Parliament. There is Clause 6 which empowers the Central Government to double the cess simply by citing public interest. The power of taxation is purely, solely the domain of Parliament. Sir, through this Bill, the Union Government is giving itself the power to double the tax rate without putting it to a parliamentary vote. This is an absolute * of Parliament. Sir, as I said earlier, there is nothing about health security or national security in this Bill. Now, why I say this Bill is anti-federal, ‘Health’ is a State subject. It completely comes under the domain of State Legislatures. By imposing the cess in the name of health security, this Government is brazenly bulldozing on the autonomy of States. The States, let me tell you, are much better at handling healthcare. When it comes to health security, as the Bill says, let me give you an example of how States do it. In December 2016, C.M.Ms. Mamata Banerjee launched the Swasthya Sathi Scheme. It is a comprehensive healthcare scheme in Bengal. Sir, two years after that, PM Modi brought the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in September, 2018. I just want to give a brief comparison between the two because we are talking about health security. The Swasthya Sathi Scheme of Bengal is universal. What does that mean? It means that every resident of Bengal, irrespective of their income status, is covered by Swasthya Sathi. So it is not just the poor, Sir, the middle class, very important, the middle class, is also covered Ayushman Bharat only covers the poor sections of society because it has an income criteria. The middle class is not covered by Ayushman Bharat, which means they are forced to spend on private insurance. Until recently, my leader, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, had written a letter last year demanding that the 18 per cent GST on medical health insurance premium be rolled back. It took this Government a year-and-a-half to implement what Ms. Mamata Banerjee said at that time. Sir, Swasthya Sathi cards in Bengal are issued in the name of the woman. We have made the woman the guardian of the family. Also, a single Swasthya Sathi card covers all members of the family, including the in-laws, not
just direct family, including the in-laws. One single card covers all family members. And, most importantly, Sir, there is no cap on the number of family members that are covered. Under PM-Ayushman Bharat Scheme, only immediate family is covered; otherwise, it is a lot more complicated,and a separate card is required for every beneficiary. Finally, Sir, the most important point. Under Swasthya Sathi Scheme of West Bengal, hundred per cent expenses are covered solely by the State Government. Despite this, the Swasthya Sathi Scheme was not named after Ms. Mamata Banerjee. … Now, let me give you a comparison with Ayushman Bharat. Under Ayushman Bharat, only 60 per cent of the expenses are covered by the Union Government. The remaining 40 per cent is covered by the State Government. It is 60:40; only 60 per cent is covered by the Union Government. But what did they name the scheme? They named it ‘Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Yojana’; 40 per cent comes from the States. Sir, let me give you one more example to show the reality of health security because this Bill talks about it. Haryana is a double-engine State, with the BJP Government in place since 2019. In August this year, 650 hospitals that are covered by the Indian Medical Association’s Haryana chapter have suspended services under PM Ayushman Bharat.Why, Sir – because these hospitals have claimed that Rs. 500 crore worth of dues are pending to these hospitals under Ayushman Bharat. The Government wants to collect a health security cess. They want to impose a cess, they want to take away the autonomy of States, but the reality is that in BJP-ruled States, like Haryana, Manipur and Rajasthan, M Ayushman Bharat dues are not being paid to hospitals. But, Sir, I am very happy about one thing. We are very happy that after two years of Ms. Mamta Banerjee’s Swasthya Sathi Scheme, the Union Government decided to copy us and introduced PM Ayushman Bharat Yojana. In a federal structure, we all learn from each other. We are very happy about it. But, Sir, it would have been better if they had implemented the Scheme in its full form instead of bringing a watered down version. … Sir, last week, the hon. Finance Minister, in this House, while replying to my colleague said, ‘The people of Bengal are being deprived of the PM Ayushman Bharat Yojana.’ She said it here, in this House. Sir, I wish to respond to the hon. Finance Minister. Why on earth would we implement a problematic scheme like PM Ayushman Bharat when we have Swasthya Sathi Scheme since two years before that? Sir, the Bill reads ‘The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025’. So, let us now talk about national security. Under this year’s Union Budget, the combined amount allocated to Defence and Home is about nine lakh crore rupees. But, what actually is the state of our national security? Collecting a cess is fine. Nine lakh crore rupees is the budget. But what is the state? Sir, I am speaking on national security. Sir, the Bill’s title says ‘national security’ and I am speaking on it. If you think it is not relevant, you may expunge it. I am speaking on the topic. Sir, the Bill says ‘national security’. Sir, please pause my time. ……Sir, the Bill says ‘national security’. They are collecting money in the name of national security. I have a right to ask what they are doing for national security. That is my right as a Member, Sir. his is very much related to the Bill, with due respect, Sir.hat is fine, Sir. You may expunge it. Sir, I am speaking on the topic. And, you come to Parliament today to demand money in the name of national security? Sir, in English, there is a saying which says, when someone tells you who they are, believe them.Sir, I lost three minutes of my time. I was speaking on the Bill. But I was interrupted me. I was speaking on the Bill. But I was interrupted me.
