The Hindu : Kerala News : Health insurance for below poverty line families mooted

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Friday, May 06, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Health insurance for below poverty line families mooted

Special Correspondent

Focus on ensuring quality in Plan implementation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Planning Board has decided to implement a health insurance scheme for all Below Poverty Line (BPL) families from September.

The Planning Board vice-chairman, C. V. Padmarajan, told a news conference here on Thursday that the scheme would be implemented with assistance from the Centre. The Planning Board would also devise ways to improve the quality of healthcare for the poor and bring forward a health sector legislation, he said.

He said the first meeting of the reconstituted Planning Board had met on Wednesday to review Plan implementation during 2004-'05 and had found that 90 per cent of the fiscal targets had been achieved and the actual level of achievement would be 94 per cent when final figures were in. Fiscal achievements by themselves were not sufficient. The focus should now shift to ensuring quality in Plan implementation. There was also a need to refocus attention on economic poverty in Kerala, recognising that some 120 lakh people, comprising mainly agricultural workers, fisherfolk, workers in the traditional industires, artisans and casual labourers in urban areas were struggling under the burden of economic poverty, unacceptably high rates of unemployment and various forms of economic deprivation and distress, he said.

Monthly review

Mr. Padmarajan, who was accompanied by the Planning Board members, C. P. John, G. Vijayaraghavan and Mohan Gopal, and the Planning Board Member Secretary, S. M. Vijayanand, said the Board had decided to conduct monthly review of Plan implementation. As directed by the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, who chaired Wednesday's meeting, the Board had decided to carry out a rapid review of the status of implementation and measures for expeditious completion of all ongoing externally-assisted projects and key projects and programmes being implemented with Central and State Plan assistance, he added.

The Kallada Irrigation Project, work on which remains suspended now, would be reviewed. Efforts would be made to see how the Muvattpuzha Valley Irrigation Project and the Kayamkulam fishing harbour project could be completed without further delay. The Board cleared extension of the Attappadi Enviornment Conservation and Watershed Development Project for further five years. The Revenue Minister would convene a meeting of district collectors to expedite work on the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) by removing bottlenecks in land acquisition. The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)-aided drinking water supply scheme would also be taken up as a fast track project, he said.

Panchayati Raj system

The Planning Board vice-chairman said the Board had also decided to undertake a review of the performance of panchayat raj system in the State over the last one decade. The review would be carried out by the Board and completed in two months. The effort, he said, in reply to questions, was not to apportion blame for any failing, but to see how the process of decentralisation could be made more meaningful. The Board would also take the initiative to celebrate the 50th anniversary of formation of the State of Kerala beginning November 1 this year, he said.

The Board, he said, proposed to develop policy initiatives in eight priority areas such as water and environment, equal opportunities for the disabled, speeding up dispute resolution and assisting people to obtain legal help, protecting traditional and indigenous knowledge and strengthening the health sector. The Board also proposed to draw up a new development strategy for the State with focus on acceleration of economic growth for job creation and poverty alleviation, improvement of the quality of governance and public services and upgradation of higher education, learning and knowledge and skills, Mr. Padmarajan said.

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