Health insurance scheme for beedi workers a poll device

The general secretary of Gondia CPI and district president of AITUC Hauslal Rahangdale flayed State government's health insurance scheme for beedi workers in the district as a gimmick in view of the coming municipal elections in Gondia and Tiroda.

The government had in a recent notification included Gondia in a list of 21 districts which have been selected for the health insurance scheme for beedi workers. The insurance cover is of Rs 30,000 on payment of a principal amount of Rs 30 per year. The criterion for the scheme is that the workers should come under the BPL category and also the insurance will cover only five members of the family. Government has asked the district administration to issue smart cards for this purpose. The work for which is going on war footing according to the staff of the hospitals earmarked for the scheme. Approximately 50 thousand such cards are to be readied by June 30.

Houslal Rahangdale said that when National Health Insurance Scheme for those under BPL category already exists in the state since 2008, the propriety of a new scheme only for beedi workers is totally unnecessary and the motive behind the move is questionable.

He said that according to a government circular dated August 27, 2010 the information about such workers is supposed to be collected by the insurance company appointed by the Nodal Officer. So the move to deploy the staff of the government beedi workers hospitals for this work is a mystery. As per information the Nodal Officer had appointed Tata AIG Insurance Company for this propose but according to local labour officer one MD India Insurance Company is doing this work on behalf of Tata and it appears to have passed this work on to the medical officers due to political pressure, Rahangdale said.

After studying all these aspects Rahangdale asked, why the government did not come out with a simple package of Rs 30 thousand for a family which becomes member of this insurance scheme or work towards providing additional facilities to the existing hospitals for the beedi workers from the funds which will be collected from the beedi workers. Rahangdale pointed out that the whole scheme is eyewash and demanded enquiry into this scheme.