TN to launch health insurance scheme for staff: CM

Chennai, July 16: The Tamil Nadu Government will launch a health insurance scheme for its employees providing medical benefits up to Rs two lakh once in four years, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said.

Addressing the Silver Jubilee Conference of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees' Union (TNGEU) here last night, he said Tamil Nadu would be the first state in the country to launch such a scheme, which would enable the employees to avail treatment in government and private hospitals.

''Both the government and the employees will contribute towards the premium and the scheme will be launched with the help of insurance companies,'' he added. The details of the scheme would be announced soon.

Referring to the previous AIADMK Regime which recruited temporary staff to counter the strike by the government employees and later dismissed them abruptly, Mr Karunanidhi said all 11,356 temporary employees had been taken back in various government departments and state-owned undertakings.

''One of the demands of the Union was to make these employees permanent. This too was accepted by the government and they were absorbed after the Public Service Commission conducted a special test for them.

The High Court had favoured the government when some people went to court against appointing these people on a permanent basis'', he added.

The chief minister also promised to consider the demands put forth by the TNGEU.

On the demand for granting recognition for two employees' unions, he said the Government had called for details from the organisations concerned and orders would be issued after considering them.

UNI