RAMANNA TO PAY AND INSURE LANDLESS POOR
TRS Adilabad legislator Jogu Ramanna is likely to launch a ‘health insurance scheme’ with `5 lakh cover on behalf of Jogu Ramanna Charitable Trust for the landless poor in his Assembly constituency.
The unique aspect is that he will pay an annual premium of up to `1,000 per policy to one landless member from each family. Death due to ill-health or accidents will be covered under this scheme.
Presently, farmers who own land get `5 lakh insurance money in case of death under Rythu Bheema scheme being implemented by the state government. Ramanna told Deccan Chronicle that landless poor are not eligible for Rythu Bheema and hence deprived of insurance cover.
“I want to fill this gap between the landless poor and land owners. Many poor landless families suffer when the sole bread earner dies. There is no financial security to such,” he said.
The MLA said, “We are identifying family members of the landless poor for the scheme and also the insurance company for the purpose. We are finalising the yearly premium and insurance cover by consulting various insurance companies.”
In many cases, landless poor families are unable to arrange for funerals and generally approach local political leaders for some financial help to complete the ritual.
However, political leaders cannot extend financial help to the bereaved families for a long time. It is said that such families can survive if they get `5 lakh as insurance following the bread-earners death.
Ramanna is also planning to provide free meals to 200 poor people from Adilabad town at the MLA camp office every day from Vasantha Panchami. Many poor people from villages visit the district headquarters and some of them may not afford a meal. The free lunch will be helpful to such people.
It is said that TRS MLAs are questioned by landless and tenant farmers whenever they go to villages as they were getting nothing from Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bheema schemes.
Party leaders say that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao may consider the demand to also extend Rythu Bandhu benefits to tenant farmers.