Harsimrat’s Rakhi gift plan may fizzle out

In her adopted village, only 625 of 1,012 women to get free insurance policies

Visit unconfirmed

• The district administration is still waiting for the confirmation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s visit to Mann village on Thursday

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 26

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s Rakhi gift to all women residents of Mann village adopted by her under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) — free personal insurance policies — may prove to be a damp squib tomorrow.

The eligible residents are not ready to get the free personal insurance.

Sources in the district administration said that a total of 1,012 women residents between 18 and 70 years of age were found eligible for the insurance scheme, but only 625 agreed to get the policy.

“The rest are unwilling either because they fear that they may be cheated later or they do not have all the documents required,” said a senior official in the district administration.

Till the filing of this report, the district administration was not even sure about the visit of the Union Minister and was waiting for her confirmation.

The official said that each beneficiary would get health insurance cover through the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) at Rs 12 per year.

This means Rs 120 will be paid by the MP from her MPLAD funds in 10 years. For 625 beneficiaries, it will amount to Rs 75,000.

The PMSBY covers accidental death, full disability and partial disability.

Meanwhile, the district administration has sought approval from Harsimrat to give lifetime insurance cover to all beneficiaries, which will cost a little more than Rs 200. However, the approval in this regard was awaited till the filing of this report.

Surinder Singh, Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Lambi, said, “We have so far opened the bank accounts of nearly 600 beneficiaries in Mann village to give them free personal insurance.”

Repeated attempts to contact Nawal Kumar, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) who has been deputed as nodal officer for Mann village, proved futile.

Courtesy: The Tribune