The Hindu : Karnataka News : Health scheme for poor by April

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Sunday, Oct 28, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Health scheme for poor by April

Correspondent

Sixteen State governments have agreed to implement ‘Swasthya’

BPL familes can avail up to Rs. 30,000
State’s contribution will be 25 per cent

— Photo: PTI

All smiles: Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes at the inauguration of a State-level coffee growers’ convention in Chikmagalur on Saturday.

CHIKMAGALUR: Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes has said that “Swasthya”, a health scheme for the poor, will be introduced from next April.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Fernandes said under the scheme, people living below the poverty line could avail of health benefits up to Rs. 30,000. Stating that the State’s contribution would be 25 per cent, he said 16 State governments had agreed to implement the scheme.

He said that the Union Government had proposed to provide compensation to physically-challenged persons and that the Urban Development Ministry would start giving pension to people above 65 years of age from next month.

Pointing out that 93 per cent of the labour force in the country was unorganised, he stressed the need to provide them protection and social security. He said that the rural employment guarantee scheme, which would be implemented in 360 districts in the first phase, would be extended to other parts of the country soon.

Mr. Fernandes said that the Cabinet had approved the amendment to the Bonus Act and an Ordinance would be proclaimed shortly. The Minister refused to comment on the political scenario either in the Centre or the State.

Mr. Fernandes, who inaugurated a State-level coffee growers’ convention, said that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had expressed concerned over the problems being faced by the growers. Stating that he could not announce any relief immediately, Mr. Oscar said that a group of ministers headed by Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar had discussed the problems of the growers recently and would take a decision soon.

Promise

Assuring coffee growers that he would discuss with Governor Rameshwar Thakur implementation of the Vidharba package to provide maximum benefit to the growers, he said that all Union Ministers from the State would strive for their welfare. He advised growers to diversify into other agricultural practices to augment their income and suggested that composite farming could help farmers in times of crisis. Stressing the need for adopting aggressive marketing techniques, he said he would take efforts to secure reduction in interest for loans availed of by coffee growers.

H.R. Lakshman Gowda, president of the Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF), said that the growers were facing lots of problems for the past eight years such as reduction of price, drought, pest attacks and damage caused by rains in the past two years.

He alleged that bankers were threatening the growers by obtaining their signatures on blank papers. He said waiver of loans obtained by growers was required to save the industry. Former ministers D.B. Chandre Gowda, Motamma and B.B. Ningaiah; former Union Minister D.K. Taradevi Siddarth, vice-chairman of the Coffee Board D.K. Udaya Shankar; MLA C.T. Ravi and members of the board were present.

Earlier, Blossom Fernandes, the Minister’s wife, inaugurated an exhibition. N.K. Pradeep, secretary of KGF, welcomed. D.S. Raghu, former president of COMARK, proposed a vote of thanks.

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