PANJIM, DEC 17
Amidst political uncertainty Chief Minister Digambar Kamat today announced a slew of schemes including health insurance cover for all citizens.
The State is in political turmoil with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a alliance partner in the government, asking two party legislators to quit as ministers following a secret meeting at Margao.
Analysts are suggesting the Kamat government may opt of dissolution of the house in this situation.
Keeping an eye on the next election, the cabinet today approved the health insurance scheme for all Goan families.
“Under the scheme, a family (maximum five persons) would be entitled for a health cover of Rs 60,000 annually,” Kamat said at press briefings.
Kamat said the scheme would be named as Suvarna Jayanti Arogya Yojaana.
“It would be a cashless scheme wherein the private hospitals would be roped in as partners,” he said.
The chief minister said the scheme would also cover the basic needs of medicine cost and the required medical tests apart from treatment, which otherwise cost a lot.
Further, he continued, the government would float tenders and invite bids from insurance companies.
“The financial implication to the State would be minimal,” he said.
Kamat said the basic aim of the scheme is to provide relief to the families who have ailing family members.
“They will not have to fill any forms to get the benefit. Every family would be given a card through which they can avail benefits,” he said adding, “Further modalities would be worked out with the insurance companies, who bag the contract.”
To a query, Kamat replied, there would be no income limit and all families of Goa would be covered under it.
In another decision the cabinet also decided to accept the recommendations of the Nandkumar Kamat committee for providing some kind of benefit to the forgotten trades like bakers, groundnut sellers, coconut pluckers and other artisans.
“These were the trades which were forgotten and in the last budget I had made a provision of Rs 1 crore for their benefit,” Kamat said adding “Today even a groundnut seller is an outsider and Goans are not taking up these businesses.”
“We wanted to give some benefits to Goans in this business and hence appointed a committee under Nandkumar Kamat, which had submitted the report recently,” he said.
Kamat said the State will have to form a council for implementing the scheme, under which the government expects 50,000 people to benefit in first phase (till March 2011).
Aid to voluntary organisations: The government approved a Sahayata Scheme, which will give financial aid to volunteer organizations like old age homes and institutes for special children.
The institutions would be provided one time grant of Rs 50,000 for organization of programmes or functions.
