Centre extends health insurance scheme to auto and taxi drivers

The central government has extended the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a healthcare insurance scheme specifically meant for the vulnerable segment of the unorganised workers, to auto and taxi drivers in urban areas.

Union minister for road transport and highways Oscar Fernandes launched the scheme today by giving away smart cards under the RSBY to auto / taxi drivers in Faridabad.

Speaking on the occasion Fernandes said the scheme will address the health concerns of auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers who form an important and vulnerable segment of the unorganised workers in urban areas.

The government has appointed a nodal officer from the ministry of road transport and highways for implementation of the scheme.

State governments of Karnataka, Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and West Bengal have also announced the appointment of nodal officers for the states and at district levels. The name and contact details of the nodal officers are also being notified for the purpose of implementation of the scheme.

At present, auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers are registered with the state transport authorities. In order to enroll them under RSBY, the centre has requested states to identify such auto rickshaw drivers / taxi drivers and prepare their data in the format under RSBY.

Owner-driven rickshaw and auto drivers are also proposed to be covered under this scheme.

Under the scheme, auto / taxi drivers have to contribute 50 per cent of premium for the RSBY, as applicable in that district, in addition to Rs30 as registration fee.

The remaining 50 per cent of the premium will be shared equally by the central and state governments.

The ministry of labour and employment will soon commence enrollment and issuance of smart cards to the beneficiary families under the RSBY in Karnataka, Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and West Bengal, according to an official release.

The state transport authorities have been directed to facilitate the enrolment of maximum number of auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers with the state nodal agencies.

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is being implemented by ministry of labour and employment since 1 October 2007, providing for smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of Rs30,000 per family per annum on a family floater basis to BPL families in the unorganised sector.