Member Parliament from Patiala and Former External Affairs Minister Preneet Kaur today wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya bringing to his attention the improper implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme in Punjab. She also urged the minister to include small shopkeepers and marginal population in this scheme.
In a letter released here Preneet Kaur highlighted that, "Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the largest health insurance scheme providing a health cover of Rs. 5 Lacs per family per year to the poor and vulnerable families. But the small shop keepers and marginal population of the society (Whose income is less than Rs. 5 Lac/annum), small farmers, farm labours, haven't been included in this scheme.
These people have no source of income and some are suffering from major ailments like Cancer etc., and are fully dependent on the financial help to be provided by the Central/State Government. As such there is a necessity to include them in the occupational category of workers for providing the benefit of the PM-JAY scheme."
The Patiala MP further highlighted, "In the State of Punjab the benefit of the PM-JAY scheme is not being extended to all the categories of persons mentioned in the scheme and it is not being implemented properly and requires its proper implementation."
She further requested the Minister to direct, "The State Authorities to implement PM-JAY scheme in a proper way in the State of Punjab so that the benefit of the scheme may be extended to all the categories of persons/families mentioned in the scheme."
The Member Parliament also wrote a letter to the CEO of State Health Agency demanding upgradation of software in Punjab highlighting that, "The shop workers are originally included in the 11 occupational categories of Ayushman Yojana but in the software for issuance of the PM-JAY benefit they have not been mentioned and requires upgradation in the software.
Likewise there is also necessity for inclusion of deaf/dumb destitute and orphan persons in the software, so that benefit of PM- JAY scheme can be provided to these persons. In view of the above it is requested that the software for issuance of the PM-JAY benefit may be upgraded and include the shop workers, deaf/dumb destitute and orphan persons in the software."