Tenders for Rs 100 crore farmers’ health insurance scheme soon

The state directorate for agriculture and food production, which has been appointed as the nodal agency for implementing the farmers’ insurance scheme under the Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojna, will float a tender by the end of this month to select the service provider for the scheme, estimated to cost the exchequer about Rs 100 crore.

“The modalities for the tender are already ready. The department will complete preparation of the tender papers by end of this week. After getting the government approval, we will be able to float the tender by the end of June,” said R S Gopalan, director with the agriculture and food production department.

All health insurance providers, having approved licences of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), are eligible for participating in the tender, he said. The scheme, for which the government sanctioned Rs 100 crore in a specially designed Agriculture Budget 2013-14, recently got approval of the finance department for release of the fund. The state-sponsored scheme, launched on Akshya Tritiya day (May 14), would cover about 2.5 crore people.

The department of Agriculture and Food Production has been assigned the task to prepare the list of all eligible farmers, irrespective of their financial status such as Below Poverty Line (BPL) or Above Poverty Line (APL).

As per the scheme, five members per family will be provided insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh. Once the tender process is completed, the farmers will be issued smart cards, which can be used at hospitals to avail health care benefits.

For the treatment of minor diseases and surgeries, the insurance benefits will be provided in line with the packages prescribed in Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). For major surgeries, with cost estimates of more than Rs one lakh, the insurance coverage will be decided later, sources added.

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