CHANDIGARH: To bring 9.5 lakh farmers and their families into the ambit of the health insurance cover under the ‘Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana for the year 2020-21, the state government has extended the last date to submit the applications under this scheme till August 5, 2020.
According to a spokesperson of Agriculture Department, all the eligible farmers having ‘J’ forms and ‘sugarcane weightment slips’ were required to submit their duly filled self-declaration, along with the other necessary documents, at the concerned Market Committee office or with the Commission Agent (Arhtiya) till July 24, which has now been extended till August 5, 2020. The Mandi Board will pay the entire premium for the insurance cover of all the farmers, who will get cashless treatment facility up to Rs 5 lakh per annum.
Divulging further, the spokesperson said that during the year 2020-21, 8.70 lakh ‘J’ form holder farmers and 80000 cane growers would derive the benefit from the Sehat Bima Yojna. All these 8.70 lakh farmers registered with the Mandi Board as `J’ form holders, having sold their agricultural produce on/after January 1, 2020 and the 80, 000 cane growers who have sold their produce during the crushing season from November 1, 2019-March 31, 2020, would be considered eligible for the benefits under the scheme. The spokesperson further said that all 9.50 lakh farmers and their families would be eligible for benefits under the scheme with effect from August 20, 2020 i.e. the date on which the scheme would come into force.
Pointing out further, the spokesperson said that the beneficiaries can approach any of the 546 empanelled private hospitals and 208 government hospitals for treatment facility of upto Rs.5 lac for 1396 diseases, including major surgical treatments such as heart surgery, cancer treatment, joint replacement and accident cases under the health insurance scheme.
The interested farmers can collect self-declaration form either from the office of Market Committee or Commission Agents (Arhtiyas) firm or download the same from the website of the Mandi Board www.mandiboard.nic.in. Any further information can be sought from the toll free no. 1800-180-1551 in this regard, the spokesperson added.