The West Bengal government has directed its employees and pensioners enrolled under the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS) to surrender any Swasthya Sathi or Ayushman Bharat cards held by them or their beneficiaries by October 31. The notification, issued on Friday, October 10, 2026, requires a formal declaration in the prescribed format along with proof of surrender.

The move follows findings that many employees and pensioners – including some from the All India Services – were drawing benefits from both the state’s employee health scheme and the government-run insurance schemes meant for the wider public. According to the notification, it had come to the government’s knowledge that WBHS-enrolled staff may be holding Swasthya Sathi or Ayushman Bharat cards for themselves or their family members despite already being covered by WBHS.

What employees must do

Employees must submit the declaration and surrender proof to their respective head of office, while pensioners must file them at the office where they submit their WBHS claims. Heads of offices, drawing and disbursing officers and pension sanctioning authorities have been directed to receive these declarations, verify the enclosed proof and maintain a compliance log to track adherence across departments. Swasthya Sathi is the state’s mass health insurance programme for residents, while Ayushman Bharat is the central government’s health insurance scheme; both are intended for people outside the state’s own employee health coverage.

Strict penalties for non-compliance

Failure to comply within the deadline will lead to the temporary suspension of all medical facilities and benefits under the WBHS. For serving employees, non-compliance will additionally count as misconduct, triggering the immediate initiation of formal disciplinary proceedings under the applicable service rules. The order signals that the government intends to enforce single-scheme coverage strictly and end the practice of holding parallel health cards to draw double benefits from the state’s health programmes.