Health cover for BPL workers, Nat Prog for elderly

New Delhi, Feb 29: In a highly populist budget, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today announced two major interventions for the vulnerable sections of the society by way of a Rs 30,000 health cover for BPL workers and a National Programme for the elderly with an outlay of Rs 400 crore.

The health cover will be under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and Mr Chidambaram informed that most of the states have agreed to join the Yojana. The National Programme for the Elderly with a plan outlay of Rs 400 crore will be started in 2008-09. Besides, during the Eleventh Plan period, two National Insitutes of Ageing, eight regional centres and a department for gariatic medical care in one medical college/tertiary level hospital in each State will also be established.

UNI