Sonia launches "Aam Admi Bima" Yojana for poor farmers

Jaggampeta, Andhra Pradesh, Mar 14 (UNI) AICC President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today launched ''Aam Admi Bima'' Yojana, naming it as 'Indira Life Insurance scheme', for landless poor farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

This scheme would benefit 38 lakh agricultural landless labourers and their children, under which the Centre and the state would pay Rs 200 each as a beneficiary to the insurance company.

Ms Gandhi handed the cheque worth Rs 35 crore as the state government's premium to Life Insurance Corporation officials in the presence of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at a public meeting, after dedicating the Pushkar Lift irrigation scheme to the state in East Godavari district.

She said the insurance scheme would help the poor labourers and workers in the unorganised sector. She praised Dr Reddy for taking up massive irrigation projects under 'Jalayagnam' programme.

Alleging that the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had neglected the agriculture sector during its ten-year regime in the state, Ms Gandhi lauded Dr Reddy for announcing several schemes for farmers in the last four years.

Praising the Andhra Pradesh government for successfully implementing the NREGP programme by providing employment to more than 70 lakh poor people, the AICC leader said the state has also recorded achievement in all sectors and the whole country was discussing the growth taking place in the state.

Stating that every citizen must benefit from the economic development witnessed by the country, she said Andhra Pradesh was also number one in providing loans to 90 lakh members of seven lakh SHGs.

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