KMC mulls health cover for 11.5L BPL families

13 June 2011 Kolkata
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The reality, however, is that the city's poor will have to wait for quite some time till the BPL list is published. The preceding Left-run board had prepared a provisional list, but it was full of errors. Scrutiny is yet to be over for making a final list.

Whatever the case, KMC has already tied up with National Insurance Company to provide insurance to as many as 11.5 lakh BPL families. Under the scheme, each member in a family of seven will enjoy a maximum coverage of Rs 15,000 a year. The civic body's social sector department will contribute Rs 11 crore annually as premium to the insurance company. The matter was passed in the mayor-in-council meeting on Saturday and will be placed before the House, the highest decision-making body in KMC, for its approval.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said on Saturday that special help desks would be set up for this purpose in each of the 15 KMC borough offices. "We have decided to open help desks with representatives of National Insurance in all borough offices to help the target beneficiaries," Chatterjee said.

Next, the KMC plans to tie up with middle-level nursing homes across the city to offer cashless facilities to patients under the BPL category. "We will see to it that the poor get a chance for treatment in the listed nursing homes," the mayor said.

Before this, however, the mayor wants to scrutinise the BPL list. According to him, a good number of people with even moderate income have found their way in the BPL list. "They need to be dropped. Similarly, there is a need to include some genuine persons, whose names do not figure in the list," Chatterjee said. Health cards will be distributed after the final list is published.

The entire procedure, however, is easier said than done. The process to which the mayor hinted at is likely to trigger a fresh row among political parties. Even as the announcement has been made well ahead of the 2011 assembly elections, civic officials need to ensure that the benefit reaches the target population on time. Post a comment Email this article Print this article Save this article My saved articles Reduce font size Increase font size Dad comes late, school detains 3-yr-old for hour Beating 'suicide disease' with hi-tech cure LATEST NEWS IN THIS SECTION ENTIRE WEBSITE Bengal takes lead in rooftop solar power project Maoist killings cut off intel network Trouble in BA Part-II exam hall Dad comes late, school detains 3-yr-old for hour » MORE FROM THIS SECTION MOST POPULAR READ COMMENTED SHARED VIDEOS THE TIMES OF INDIA Get a replica of your favourite edition of TOI and feel at home.
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