Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 29: Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray has urged Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda to expedite implementation of the Centre’s 2023 decision extending Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) facilities to pensioners under Union Territory Administrations, including retired employees of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
In a letter dated September 27, Ray sought the early establishment of a CGHS Health and Wellness Centre at Sri Vijaya Puram, pointing out that the matter has remained pending despite repeated correspondence with the Ministry.
The issue is particularly significant for retired government employees residing in the islands, where access to specialised healthcare can involve considerable logistical and financial difficulties. The 2023 Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the extension of CGHS medical facilities to pensioners under Union Territory Administrations, except Delhi and Chandigarh, and specifically listed Andaman and Nicobar Islands among the UTs to which the order was communicated.
Under the decision, eligible UT pensioners are to receive CGHS facilities at par with Central Government pensioners, subject to payment of the prescribed subscription and the condition that they are not availing themselves of medical benefits under another government health scheme.
CGHS is designed to provide comprehensive healthcare services to serving and retired Central Government employees and their dependents. Its facilities include outpatient consultations, medicines, diagnostic services and access to government and empanelled hospitals. The scheme operates through a network of Wellness Centres and empanelled healthcare institutions.
For pensioners living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the availability of a local Wellness Centre is therefore important for making the 2023 policy operational on the ground. Without a CGHS establishment in the islands, beneficiaries may face difficulties accessing routine CGHS services locally, particularly when compared with pensioners residing in mainland cities where CGHS infrastructure is available.
Ray’s latest representation follows his earlier efforts to secure such a facility. According to the letter, he had taken up the matter with the Health Minister on November 10, 2025, requesting implementation of the government’s decision and creation of a Health and Wellness Centre at Sri Vijaya Puram. The communication was acknowledged on November 24, 2025, following which Ray submitted a reminder on January 1, 2026, along with measures suggested for early implementation.
However, Ray has pointed out that more than 10 months have passed while the matter remains pending with the Ministry. He has now sought the Health Minister’s personal intervention for early implementation of the 2023 decision and establishment of the proposed centre.
The demand has also been raised by pensioners’ organisations in the islands. The 2023 extension of CGHS facilities was welcomed as an important step for UT pensioners, while issues concerning medical reimbursement and other related benefits have continued to feature in representations from pensioners in Andaman and Nicobar.
A CGHS Wellness Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram would potentially provide eligible retired UT employees and pensioners residing in the islands with a local point for accessing CGHS services, while also connecting them to the wider CGHS network and its empanelled healthcare facilities.
Ray has therefore urged the Ministry to move beyond the policy decision already taken in 2023 and ensure its effective implementation in the islands, particularly through establishment of the proposed Wellness Centre.
The matter now awaits further action from the Union Health Ministry, with the MP seeking an early decision in the interest of retired employees and pensioners of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
