Street vendors, rag-pickers to get health cover

The government on Friday said it intended extending coverage of its flagship health insurance scheme for poor families to auto-rickshaw drivers, cycle rickshaw pullers, street vendors and rag-pickers.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Khargeji said it was the endeavour of the Centre to extend the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), which provides cashless health cover to below poverty line families, to certain segments of unorganised workers in a phased manner.

 "The government is keen to extend RSBY coverage to four categories of workers who work as auto-rickshaw drivers, running cycle rickshaws, street vendors and rag pickers," the Minister said.

He said that the ministry has constituted a task force to work out how these four categories could be covered. "Our interdepartmental task force will be submitting its report within three months," he said.

Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has already extended RSBY to workers working under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and building and construction workers.

"A task force has also recommended for inclusion of domestic workers (4.5 million) under RSBY. Its proposal will soon be presented before the cabinet for its approval," he said.

Under RSBY, over 1.66 crore (16.6 million) families in 22 states have already been covered out of country's 6.64 crore (66.4 million) BPL population.

Beneficiaries under this scheme are entitled to hospitalisation coverage up to Rs 30,000 for most of diseases in over 4,500 hospitals. The insurance premium is shared by Centre and states in the ratio of 75:25.

The ministry would also seek additional sum of Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.5 billion) soon from the government for RSBY scheme, said Anil Swaroop, Director General, Labour Welfare.

"The Centre has earmarked a budget of Rs 350 crore (Rs 3.5 billion) for 2010-11 for RSBY but we will also seek more funds to the tune of Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.5 billion)," he said.

The ministry can also seek funds from National Social Security Fund for Unorganised workers for which the Centre has allocated Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion), he said.