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Chidambaram’s gift to rural landless on Gandhi Jayanti

SHIMLA: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday launched the “Aam Admi Bima Yojana” (Common man Insurance Scheme) for the rural landless households on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country to implement the scheme with immediate effect.

The Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes was also present on the occasion.

Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation T.S. Vijayan handed over the Master Policy to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

The ‘yojana’ is a social security scheme which will cover the head of the family or one earning member in family of the rural landless household and aged between 18 and 59 years. It provides a cover of Rs. 30,000 to the members and a cover of Rs 75,000 on death due to accident or permanent total disability due to accident. There is also a cover of Rs. 37,500 for partial permanent disability due to accident.

An added feature of the scheme is that it provides scholarship at the rate of Rs 100 per month payable half yearly to a maximum of two children studying between 9th and 12th classes.

The premium under the scheme will be Rs. 200 out of which 50 per cent will be subsidised from the fund created for this purpose by the Central Government and the remaining 50 per cent will be contributed by the State Government.

The scheme will have a simple claim procedure whereby the beneficiary will be required to furnish a death certificate and an identity card issued by the LIC to the Nodal Agency.

Mr. Chidambaram, who addressed a huge rally on the Ridge Maidan which was earlier scheduled to be addressed by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, announced that Government of India would set up a fully-funded Central University and a new IIT in the hill State. The centre would also fund the long- awaited Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway line and would implement the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the districts which had been earlier left out.

Mr. Fernandes also addressed the rally.

Both the Central leaders praised UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking the country on the path of progress and unprecedented growth.

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