Date:27/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/27/stories/2008092758830300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Guntur

Rajiv Arogyasri health cards distributed

Staff Reporter

— Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

Deputy Chairperson of State Legislative Council Md. Jani handing over Rajiv Arogyasri health card to a woman in Guntur on Friday.

Guntur: Deputy Chairperson of State Legislative Council Md. Jani has said that the Congress government in the State is committed to the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden sections of society.

Addressing a meeting to mark the distribution of Rajiv Arogyasri Health Cards held at Yadava High School in Old Guntur on Friday, he said that the welfare schemes launched by the government were aimed at financial inclusion and have shouldered the financial burden.

Terming the Rajiv Arogyasri Health Insurance programme as a path-breaking scheme in the history of the country, he said that many other states were keen on replicating the scheme in their states and approached the State government for key inputs.

Fee waiver

The government’s decision to waive the fees to be paid in educational institutions by students belonging to the Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Minorities was historic as it provided a great opportunity for the students to pursue their studies, he said. Guntur-2 MLA Sk. Namburu Subhani said that the health insurance scheme provided the best of facilities available in the secondary and corporate health care systems free of cost. He read out a list of the hospitals covered by the Rajiv Arogyasri in the State and appealed to people to make full use of the scheme.

Mayor Rayapati Mohana Sai Krishna said that the Guntur Municipal Corporation is keen on giving 1.05 lakh cards which would be distributed in a phased manner at all ration depots from October 1.

Municipal Commissioner Siddharth Jain supervised the distribution of some cards on the school premises by setting up counters and asked the officials to distribute them at ration depots later.