Srinagar, Mar 8: Speakers at a workshop today called on artisans to avail benefits of the centrally-sponsored health schemes.
 At the day-long workshop-cum-awareness camp on Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojna, the speakers insisted upon artisans to get themselves registered with the handicrafts department and take benefits of these schemes.
 The awareness camp was organized by the office of Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Marketing and Service Extension Centre, Barzullah in collaboration with ICICI Lombard here at J&K Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPA).   
 Coordinator ICICI Lombard for Kashmir region, Afroza Rashid, said the Rajiv Gandhi health insurance policy was meant for the artisans, who were registered with the handicrafts department at either state or centre level.  She said artisans could avail multiple health benefits through this scheme. “Under this scheme,” she said, “an artisan and his three family members could get a health insurance cover of Rs 15,000 for one year including Rs 7500 each for OPD and IPD.”
  “If an artisan is married, then this scheme, in addition to him, will cover his wife and two children. In case he is unmarried, the scheme will apply to him and his parents,” Afroza said.
  “This scheme does not apply to siblings of the artisans, for they are not dependent upon them,” she said, adding that the scheme was valid for the artisans up to 80 years of age.
 The coordinator said the scheme covered pre-existing diseases as well, “which is not the case with other schemes.”
 Explaining the benefits, she said artisans could get Rs 250 for dental treatment, Rs 75 for eye treatment and Rs 250 for spectacles, adding that beyond limits the artisans would have to pay the amount of their own.
 For Ayurvedic, Unani, Homeopathic and Siddha treatments, they could get Rs 4000, she said.
 Regarding maternity benefits, she said the artisans could get Rs 2500 for each of his first two children.
  “Besides, for accidents, the government shall provide an insurance of Rs 1 lakh—for both accidental death and disability,” she said.
 Afroza said all the artisans needed to do was to preserve the prescription and bills of the doctor / hospital and get the amount within said limits from the company within 20 to 25 working days. She further said the artisans could get a health card from their company, by which they could also get cashless treatment within limits at quite a few hospitals in the state, approached by them. “In J&K, there are 20 such hospitals, with one hospital in each district, in addition to cashless OPDs at Khanyar, Rainawari and Chhatabal; and we are working on the same in other districts as well,” she said.
 Speaking on the occasion, Shamim Raja, branch manager Ganderbal, Punjab National Bank, deliberated upon facilities the banks had in store for the artisans. He said they had been directed by their authorities at PNB to give first preference to poverty elimination schemes.
 The manager said the Reserve Bank of India had introduced a scheme for artisans, according to which they could receive a loan Rs 50,000 at two stages. “And for this, our bank would neither demand a guarantor or collateral security from you,” Raja told artisans, adding that if at any stage the artisans found the bank not delivering properly, they were free to complain against them to the higher authorities.
 He said the PNB shall bear even the cost of the photographs required for the process of receiving loan.
 He, however, said the artisans have to ensure that they were not loanees of any other financial institute at the time of accepting loan from the PNB. 
  “Whosoever would stick to the terms and conditions of the bank and shall complete payment within five years, the bank shall increase the amount to Rs 1 lakh for him on the same conditions,” he said.
 Earlier, welcoming the guests, assistant director, office of development commissioner, handicrafts, Abdul Gani Bhat said the purpose of holding the programme was to generate awareness among artisans as to what benefits they could avail from the centrally-sponsored schemes.
 He said artisans could easily make a medical claim for his or his family’s treatment like government employees do. “Infact, artisans have more benefits than government employees. For instance, central government is giving Rs 800 subsidy on annual premium of Rs 1000 for artisans of APL and Rs 900 for BPL categories, where as there is no such subsidy for government employees,” he said.
  “And now the state government has further subsidized Rs 50 on the same, which means now artisans from APL category will have to pay merely Rs 150 and those from BPL category a nominal Rs 50,” he added.
 Bhat said the artisans would get free of cost registration from their office, “and then health card shall be issued to you and you can avail the benefits of the health schemes.”
 The department distributed health cards and cheques against medical claim among artisans, whereas ICICI Lombard held a health camp for artisans and provided free check-up to them on the occasion. Artisans also interacted with the panelists and got their doubts cleared on various issues.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 8 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 8 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST