RSBY scheme for taxi drivers, rickshaw pullers, rag pickers

In good news for taxi drivers, rickshaw pullers and rag pickers, government today decided to extend the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme to them along with mine and sanitation workers.
The implication of the decision, which was approved by the Union Cabinet, would be around Rs 210 crore for 2013-14 and Rs 419.89 from 2014-15 onwards.
"The exact amount will be determined on the basis of persons identified and registered under these categories during each preceding year and actual premium rates," said a government statement.
The benefit would facilitate health insurance cover to beneficiaries.
RSBY provides smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of Rs 30,000 per annum to BPL families (a unit of five persons) in the unorganised sector.

The programme is already covers street vendors, beedi workers, domestic workers, building and other construction workers and MGNREGA workers who have worked more than 15 days during the previous year.

As per the statement, the total number of rickshaw pullers/drivers benefiting from the decision will be about 13.68 lakh.
Rag pickers benefiting would be 11.63 lakh, mine workers standing to benefit is 17.79 lakh and sanitation workers would be 10.08 lakh.
Besides, 35.39 autorickshaw drivers/taxi drivers would be befitted by the decision.