Labourers to get health facilities

PATNA: There is good news for the labourers of unorganised sectors and their families as the state government has decided to provide medical facilities up to Rs 30,000 every year to such families under Rashtriya Swasthya Beema Yojana starting in the financial year 2008-09.

Making this announcement at a seminar for preparing the road map for the project here on Monday, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said in the first phase, 39 lakh BPL families in Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Saharsa, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur will benefit. It would be extended to other districts by 2012-13, he said.

Modi said Bihar is the third state to implement the project and the state government has made a budget provision of Rs 14.25 crore for the purpose. He said a labour family would avail medical facilities up to Rs 30,000, besides Rs 1,000 as transportation cost.