J''khand govt to prioritise giving ration cards to poor to ensure their health insurance benefits

Ranchi, Oct 18 (PTI) The Jharkhand government has taken a step to ensure that people belonging to the financially weaker section get ration cards on a priority basis so that they do not face problems in availing benefits of state-run medical insurance schemes, a minister said on Saturday.

State health and food supplies minister Irfan Ansari told PTI that several cases have been reported in districts where poor people could not avail of government health insurance schemes in either private or state-run medical facilities due to a lack of ration cards.

“We deliberated on this problem. On the directive of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, we took a decision that under no circumstances would a poor person be denied medical insurance facility for not possessing a ration card.

"The government objective is that every poor person should benefit from the Centre's Ayushman Bharat, state government's Chief Minister’s Jan Arogya Yojana and Mukhya Mantri Abua Swasthya Suraksha Yojana,” the minister said.

Ansari said that a government notification in this connection was issued on Friday evening.

“In each of the 24 districts, 100 slots will be permanently reserved for poor families under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) pool so that they can get a ration card for timely medical treatment,” said Ansari.

Eligible beneficiaries suffering from serious or terminal illness will be immediately provided ration cards under the Jharkhand State Food Security Scheme (JSFSS), he said.

“Out of the 338,675 vacancies available in the state's 24 districts under NFSA, 100 in each district will be reserved for seriously ill beneficiaries, and they will avail the benefit of priority household ration card,” the minister added.

"This 100-slot arrangement will be maintained in the future so that no needy person has to wait,” said Ansari. PTI ANB BDC