PANJIM, MARCH 25
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Thursday proposed a health insurance scheme which will cover the entire population of Goa to the extent of Rs 60,000 per head annually.
In his budget speech in the Goa legislative assembly Kamat said, that the ‘Swarnajayanti Aarogya Bima’ scheme would cover the 14 lakh odd population of the state on the lines of a similar central government health insurance scheme for below the poverty line (BPL) families called as Rashtriya Bima Swasthya Yojana.
The BJP families who are covered to the extent of Rs 30,000 under central scheme will now get additional Rs 30,000 under the proposed State scheme. He said a provision of Rs 15 crore is made in the budget.
“In the proposed scheme, each insured shall get a medical insurance cover of up to Rs 60,000 during the year,” Kamat said, adding that universal insurance cover to all Goan residents would strengthen the State’s social security net.
“I believe in the words of Sir Winston Churchill, that healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”
ACCIDENT COVER: Kamat also proposed an accident insurance scheme which would cover every person who lost their life to the tune of Rs 2 lakh, in case of permanent disability Rs 1.5 lakh and in case of partial disability to the tune of Rs 1 lakh – provided the victim is not covered by any other insurance scheme.
Kamat also said that an amount of 5 crore was allocated in the budget 2010-11 had been kept aside for the purpose.
