₹10 lakh arrangement for Ayushman empanelment revealed:PA Chotelal says, ‘Officers will take ₹6 lakh’; assures private hospital will be empanelled by March

A shocking revelation has come to light regarding corruption in the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Madhya Pradesh. Private hospitals seeking empanelment under the scheme reportedly have to pay Rs 10 lakh, of which Rs 6 lakh allegedly goes directly to officials. This expose emerged after a hidden camera investigation conducted by Bhaskar, where PA Chotelal, assistant to Ayushman CEO Yogesh Bharsat, openly discussed the financial arrangement with a reporter posing as a private hospital owner. The sting operation A Bhaskar reporter posed as a hospital owner from Rajgarh seeking Ayushman empanelment. Over several meetings, Chotelal revealed how the empanelment system operates and how payments are divided among officials: Initial introduction by Ayushman Mitra The reporter was introduced to Chotelal by Ayushman Mitra Sandeep Singh at a café. Singh directed the reporter to the first-floor office of the Ayushman department at JP Hospital. PA Chotelal Reveals the Payment Arrangement
During the meeting, Chotelal told the reporter: “Keep Rs 10 lakh ready; Rs 6 lakh will go to the officers.” He explained that the CEO was away for training, but once he returned, the empanelment process would be completed immediately. Meeting with operational GM Indrajeet Sikarwar Chotelal arranged a meeting between the reporter and Indrajeet Sikarwar, the Ayushman Operational General Manager. Sikarwar assured the reporter that the hospital empanelment would be processed without issue. During the conversation, Sikarwar asked: “How many beds does your hospital have?”
Reporter: “30 beds with orthopaedics and gynaecology specialists.”
Sikarwar: “We will get it done; it will happen.” Direct demand for Rs 10 lakh Three days later, Chotelal called the reporter for a meeting at a café on Hoshangabad Road. He explicitly demanded Rs 10 lakh, specifying that Rs 6 lakh would go to the officers: Chotelal: “By March, we will remove over 200 hospitals from the panel and empanel new ones. Sikarwar will coordinate with CEO Bharsat. Your work will be done.” When asked whether Sikarwar or the CEO would handle the empanelment, Chotelal replied: “Sikarwar sir will do it. People in the market think empanelment happens through money.” Chotelal then indicated he would arrange a direct meeting at Sikarwar’s home over the weekend to complete the process. Systematic bribery alleged The investigation indicates that empanelling private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat in Madhya Pradesh involves systematic bribery. PA Chotelal admitted that payments are divided, with officials taking the lion’s share. The report suggests that the issue has persisted for months, with delays in empanelment and unofficial “fees” being normalised in the system. Next in the Investigation Bhaskar’s Part 2 will reveal how officials negotiate with private hospitals and manage the empanelment process, showing the systemic corruption behind the scheme in detail. This investigative report exposes alleged malpractices that threaten the credibility of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is intended to provide affordable healthcare to millions.