The Meghalaya cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) phase-IV by converging with the health protection scheme of the Central government which was launched under Ayushman Bharat Programme.
After the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Conrad K Sangma at the secretariat here, health minister AL Hek told reporters that the MHIS phase-IV has been approved for implementation and the health coverage is upto Rs 5 lakh per year per household.
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Hek said that unlike the earlier phases, the MHIS phase-IV implementation would cover all citizens of the state except government employees. The scheme would now cover various tests and investigations of sicknesses too.
The MHIS coverage earlier was Rs 2.8 lakh per card holder (five beneficiaries in one card) per year, but according to deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, now the health cover has been enhanced to Rs 5 lakh per year per household.
A total of 8.8 lakh families would be covered under this scheme, he said.
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The state cabinet also approved a proposal of the animal husbandry and veterinary department to stand as guarantor in favour of the East Khasi Hills District Cooperative Milk Union under the Meghalaya milk mission for availing a loan of Rs 200 crore through the National Cooperative Development Corporation.
Tynsong said that the East Khasi Hills District Cooperative Milk Union was set up recently and the union is running the milk processing unit at Mawlai Mawïong here.
The production of processed milk at present is 10,000 litres per day, and Tynsong said that the government wanted to enhance the production to 50,000 litres per day.
“Some Central assistance has come in, and under the milk mission, we would like to further expand these activities by encouraging farmers to take such activities in their respective villages,” Tynsong said.
As the union required some financial assistance, he said that the National Cooperative Development Corporation has agreed to give a loan of Rs 200 crore, out of which, Rs 150 crore is a soft loan, and Rs 50 crore a subsidy.
Tynsong said more unions would also set up in other districts of the state.
The cabinet also has decided to enhance a grant-in-aid to 710 pre-primary school teachers by enhancing their salary from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 per month fromAugust 1 this year.
Tynsong said that the government’s expenditure would be over Rs 5 crore per year in view of the enhancement.
Meghalaya Day Awards:
Visually challenged Indian educationist Bertha Gyndykes Dkhar has been selected for the state award, Pa Togan N Sangma Award in recognition of her dedicated social services she has been rendering.
Dkhar is the headmistress of the Jyoti Sroat School, a school run by the Bethany Society for the visually impaired children.
She received the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri, when she featured in the 2010 Indian Republic Day honours.