Now, health cover for construction workers: Govt

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New Delhi, September 23: : Over 2.5 crore workers engaged in the construction sector will be brought under the ambit of a health insurance scheme for the poor, the government on Tuesday announced.

“The benefits under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana are being extended to construction and building workers,” Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes told a press conference in New Delhi.

As per national sample survey organisation report of 2004-05, there are 2.6 crore such workers in the country.

Under the scheme, launched by the UPA government last October, the Centre contributes 75 per cent of the annual premium and the rest is borne by the state government. In case of Northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, the ratio is 90:10. The scheme provides a benefit of up to Rs 30,000 to every BPL family.

“Though the scheme is originally meant for families living below the poverty line, it is being extended to construction and building workers,” Fernandes said adding that they have to pay Rs 30 only as registration fee for issuance of smart cards.

Fernandes said more than 3.35 lakh smart cards providing health insurance cover to 16.7 lakh BPL families have been issued and more than 1,400 beneficiaries have availed the benefits under the scheme.