Srinagar, Oct 7: Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir today kick started a novel Health Insurance scheme for the female Sericulture workers of the State today, an official statement said.  The Insurance scheme has been devised by the Sericulture Department in collaboration with ICICI Lombard and in the first phase 1000 female Sericulture workers would be covered.  The scheme comprises a minimum premium of Rs. 56 on the part of the sericulture worker and Rs. 650 as the share of the state government. The facility would cover the sericulture worker and three dependents of her family. As per the scheme, the covered worker would be provided medical cover to the tune of Rs 15000 per year including medicines hospital expenses etc.
 The launching of the insurance scheme has come as a big boon for the sericulture workers, particularly women who have been demanding it for a long time. Speaking on the occasion the minister said that women have played an important role in shaping nations and societies. He asked them to help in taking Sericulture to its age old glory by involving their families in the part time job of rearing cocoons. Mir said though it was heartening to know that the cocoon crop this year got good market value but the production quantity still needs to be scaled up. He asked the Sericulture workers to start growing 2nd crop of cocoons and not rest on the first crop only. He said since the land holdings have decreased due to increase in population there is an urgent need to adopt practices like bee keeping, mushroom cultivation, vegetable cultivation etc.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Oct 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 IST