The Minister of State for Mines, Steel and Labour & Employment Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that the ‘Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana’ (RSBY) was launched on 1st October, 2007 to provide smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30,000/- per annum to BPL families (a unit of five) in the unorganized sector.  The scheme became operational from 01.04.2008.   The premium is shared between Centre and State Government in the ratio of 75:25.  In case of States of North East region and Jammu & Kashmir, the premium is shared in the ratio of 90:10. The definition of BPL is the one prescribed by the Planning Commission. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is currently active in 26 States and Union Territories covering 3, 85, 15,411 families. State/UT wise status of implementation is at Annexure-I.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said, it is the endeavor of the Government to extend Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to all unorganised workers in a phased manner. During the course of implementation, apart from BPL families, RSBY coverage has been extended to various other categories of unorganised workers viz. Building & Other Construction Workers, licensed Railway porters, Street Vendors, MGNREGA workers (who have worked for more than fifteen days during preceding financial year), Beedi workers, Domestic workers, Sanitation Workers, Mine Workers, Rickshaw pullers, Rag pickers and Auto/Taxi drivers.

The Minister said, on receipt of final EIA/EMP report after the public consultation, the project is appraised by the EAC within sixty days in a transparent manner in a proceeding to which the Proponent is invited for furnishing necessary clarification in person or through an authorized representative. Thereafter, the EAC makes appropriate recommendations of the proposal and the Ministry takes the final decision with regard to Environmental Clearance as per the EIA Notification, 2006. This decision is conveyed to the Proponent within forty five days of the receipt of the recommendations of EAC.  In other words, the decision is to be conveyed within one hundred five days from the receipt of the final EIA/EMP report/requisite documents from the Project Proponent.

Continued----

Annexure-I

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