Eye on polls, Capt extends free insurance cover to 15L families

| | Chandigarh
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Eye on polls, Capt extends free insurance cover to 15L families

Saturday, 18 September 2021 | PNS | Chandigarh

With an eye on 2022 polls, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday announced free insurance cover for the 15 lakh families, who were earlier not included in the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY) — fulfilling the Congress-led Government’s universal healthcare poll promise.

The Chief Minister announced the decision at the virtual Cabinet meeting, where the Health Department had proposed bringing these families into the Government schemes cover on co-sharing basis, which would have required the beneficiaries to pay for part of the expense.

However, Capt Amarinder Singh suggested making the insurance cover for these families also completely free in line with the State Government’s promise of universal healthcare for the people of Punjab.

Barring the families of Government Employees or Pensioners, who were already covered under Punjab Medical Attendance Rules, all the remaining nearly 55 lakh families in the State will now come under the ambit of this scheme, said an official spokesperson after the meeting.

The State Government will now be bearing a total cost of Rs 593 crore per annum to cover 55 lakh families to provide insurance cover of Rs five lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care treatments in empanelled public and private hospitals.

The Health and Family Welfare Department has been asked to formulate the operational process for the enrolment of these left out families under the scheme.

Notably, nearly 39.38 lakh families, including 14.64 lakh families identified as per the ‘Socio-Economic Caste Census’ (SECC) of 2011, 16.15 lakh Smart Ration Card holder families, and 5.07 lakh farmer families, 3.12 lakh construction worker families, 4481 accredited journalist families and 33,096 small trader families, are already availing this facility under the scheme since August 20, 2019, and they have got cashless medical treatment worth over Rs 913 crore cover in the last two years.

AID FOR TERRORISM/ RIOT-AFFECTED, KASHMIRI MIGRANTS HIKED

Fulfilling a pending demand of terrorism or riot affected families and Kashmiri migrants, the Cabinet gave approval to enhance their subsistence allowance — benefitting 5,100 terrorists or riot affected families and 200 Kashmiri migrants with an annual outlay of Rs 6.16 crore. While Subsistence Allowance of terrorists or riot affected families has been hiked from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 per month, financial assistance being given to Kashmiri migrants as ration money has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month per family.  The financial assistance of terrorists/riot affected families was earlier increased in 2012 and for Kashmiri migrants, it was hiked in 2005.

TIME REDUCED FOR FILING OBJECTIONS UNDER SVAMITVA SCHEME

To facilitate quick and effective implementation of Mission Lal Lakir, the Cabinet decided to cut down by half the time for filing objections prepared under the SVAMITVA scheme - from the existing 90 to 45 days. The Cabinet approved the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Bill, 2021, enabling amendment to Section 11(1) of the existing legislation, which had provided that person, aggrieved by the demarcation of any boundary in the survey record, or an entry regarding the proprietary rights in the standing record of rights in a survey unit, may file objection within 90 days of display of record at a conspicuous place in the village. The said Act was enacted to implement 'Mission Lal Lakir' — aimed at preparing the right of record of properties of villages within Lal Lakir, with the Centre’s cooperation under SVAMITVA Scheme — across the State.

ALLOWS REIMBURSEMENT OF STATE GST SHARE ON LANGAR ITEMS

Cabinet also okayed necessary amendments to clear the decks to provide grant-in-aid for reimbursement of the State share of GST on purchase of langar items of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, Sri Durgiana Mandir Amritsar, and Sri Valmiki Sthal Ram Tirath Amritsar.

160 ASSISTANT PROFS, 17 LIBRARIANS APPROVED FOR NEW GOVT COLLEGES

To ensure smooth running of 18 new Government colleges in various sub-divisions of the state, the Cabinet approved recruitment of 160 Assistant Professors and 17 Librarians in these colleges. The recruitments will be made by the Departmental Selection Committee, constituted under the chairmanship of former UGC chairman Professor Ved Prakash, after taking these posts out of the purview of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).

117 POSTS CREATED FOR 9 FAST TRACK SPECIAL COURTS

To eliminate pendency of Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and rape cases, the Cabinet also approved the setting up of nine fast track special courts with the creation of 117 posts for the same. The nine fast track special courts would be set up in Amritsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, and SAS Nagar, and the 117 posts include nine Additional District and Sessions Judge.

APPROVAL TO SET UP LAMRIN TECH SKILLS UNIVERSITY IN SBS NAGAR

To strengthen industry-oriented teaching, skill training and research in the State, the Cabinet approved the establishment of private self-financed ‘Lamrin Tech Skills University’ at Railmajra in Balachaur (SBS Nagar district). The decision is expected to pave way for the development of the region as a major skill and technological hub. The university, to be established as a research and skill development university over an area of 81 acre with an investment of Rs 1,630 crore over five years, is expected to become functional from this academic session. The varsity will have an annual intake of 1000-1100 students when the campus is fully established.

RESTRUCTURING OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND FOOD, CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPTS

Carrying forward the state government’s thrust on augmenting efficiencies through rationalization, the Cabinet also approved restructuring of the Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Archaeology, Museums and Archives Department for creation and filling up of additional nine new posts on regular scale, besides additional 35 new posts on outsourcing basis at minimum wages prescribed by the State Government.

The Cabinet also approved the restructuring of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department related to its various wings — Food and Supplies, Legal Metrology Wing and Consumer Protection Act Branch. Nod to sanction 109 new posts against 159 posts surrendered in the Food and Supplies, 20 against 35 posts in Legal Metrology Wing, besides creation of 130 new posts in Consumer Redressal Commissions was also given — creating 259 posts in total against 194 surrendered.

CUSTOM MILLING POLICY FOR KHARIF 2021-22 OKAYED

Punjab Cabinet approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2021-22, for conversion of paddy procured by State Procurement Agencies (Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup and PSWC) into Custom Milled Rice and its delivery into the Central Pool.

The Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 would start from October 1, 2021, and the operations would be completed by December 15, 2021. During KMS 2021-22, the paddy so procured would be stored in eligible rice mills situated in the State, said the spokesperson.

MECHANISM IN PLACE TO MITIGATE DELAYED PAYMENTS

Punjab’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) got a major impetus with the State Cabinet approving rules to provide a well-formulated legal framework for their operations, with effective mechanism to mitigate the problem of delayed payments to such enterprises. To facilitate promotion, development and competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, The Cabinet okayed the Punjab Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils Rules, 2021, under Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006.

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