1.4 mn poor families in Maha get biometric cards

Altogether 1.4 million BPL families in Maharashtra have been given biometric smart cards under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a senior official said here today.

The state government has rolled out the scheme in 28 districts and enrolled 1.4 million Below Poverty Line (BPL) families which have been given the biometric smart cards, Principal Secretary, Labour, Kavita Gupta said.

RSBY provides for health insurance cover of up to Rs 30,000 in hospitalisation procedures to BPL families.

The scheme, in which an individual makes a meagre contribution of Rs 30, is funded by the Centre and the state in the 75:25 ratio.

"Five members of the family, including the spouse, are covered under the scheme. They can avail the benefit of 740 in hospitalisation procedures under the RSBY," Gupta, who has received an award by the Union Ministry of Labour for "outstanding contribution in individual capacity" for implementing the RSBY scheme, said.

The scheme has taken a special view of women as it is compulsory for the family to include the spouse, which ensures the wife is not neglected.

Maternity benefits are covered under the scheme, she said.