Centre axes insurance scheme for tendupatta collectors: Cong

The Congress party in Chhattisgarh said on Tuesday that two insurance schemes for tendupatta collectors had to be stopped as the Central government did not provide the required funds.

Addressing the media at the party’s state headquarter Rajiv Bhawan, cabinet Ministers Mohammad Akbar, Shiv Dahariya and Kawasi Lakhma said the LIC ran two schemes for the tendupatta collectors: Aam Admi Beema Yojana (AABY) and Pradhanmantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY).

“Under AABY, if a tendupatta collector died in normal circumstances, their families would receive Rs 30,000 while under PMJJBY they would receive Rs 2 lakh,” one of the Ministers said.

“Under the scheme, the Central government used to provide 50 percent of the premium, the state shared 37.5 percent and remaining 12.5 percent was provided by the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Minor Forest Produce Federation,” Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar said.

For financial year 2019-20, the Chhattisgarh government had provisioned Rs 13.20 crore for paying the premium amount.

But the money had to be surrendered as it was communicated by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) that the two schemes had to be closed down as new schemes were coming in their place, Akbar said.

He added that for the children of tendupatta collectors, Chhattisgarh runs scholarship schemes wherein those passing with 75 percent and above marks in Class 10 get Rs 15,000 while those securing the honours in Class 12 receive a scholarship of Rs 25,000.