Punjab Govt to launch 'Swasthya Bima Yojna' from April 1

Chandigarh, Jan 15 (UNI) The Punjab Government today decided to launch 'Swasthya Bima Yojna' aimed to facilitate health insurance cover for workers covered under BPL (Below Poverty Line) in the state as a pilot project in the five districts from April 1.

A decision to this effect was taken in a high level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this morning.

Mr Badal said the unorganised sector workers belonging to BPL category and their family members (a family unit of five) would be the beneficiaries under the scheme with an insurance cover of Rs 30,000 per family per annum on a family floater basis with a cashless attendance to all covered ailments.

The Chief Minister said the scheme would be implemented by Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) which was the nodal agency. An inter-departmental Coordination Committee of Labour, Health, Finance, Cooperation, Rural and Urban Development and Public Relations had been constituted to finalise the modalities to implement the scheme in an efficient and meaningful manner.

It was informed in the meeting that the Central Government would contribute 75 per cent of the estimated annual premium of Rs 750 subject to a maximum of Rs 565 per family per annum and the remaining 25 per cent would be borne out by the state government.

Taking part in the deliberations, Mr Badal asked the Chief Secretary to select five districts in which this scheme was to be launched having maximum concentration of BPL families. He said the scheme would be gradually extended to the remaining districts also in a phased manner.

As per BPL census 2002, there are approximately 4.5 lakh BPL families in the state and the total expenditure under the sceme would amount to Rs 33.75 crore.

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