The scheme, offered under the Family Floater Scheme, will cover MGNREGA workers and their families, excluding those already enrolled in the Employee State Insurance (ESI) programme.
Published Jan 16, 2025 | 10:28 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2025 | 10:41 PM
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Supplied)
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday, 16 January, approved a group health insurance scheme for staff implementing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), marking a pivotal step towards enhancing social security for rural workers across the state.
The scheme, offered under the Family Floater Scheme, will cover MGNREGA workers and their families, excluding those already enrolled in the Employee State Insurance (ESI) programme. The scheme is expected to cover outsourced workers implementing MGNREGS. It will be implemented through a three-year tender process under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, with insurance providers selected via e-procurement, according to a government press release.
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of an integrated university for agriculture and horticulture sciences in Mandya district at the Visvesvaraya Farm. The project, with an estimated cost of ₹285.89 crore, aims to address the lack of a dedicated agricultural university in the Mysuru revenue division, thereby boosting research and education in the region.
The Cabinet also granted administrative approval for the construction of the second-phase building with a capacity of 450 beds at the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences campus. The estimated cost for the construction, along with the purchase of medical equipment and furnishings, is ₹78.10 crores.
The cabinet has also decided to expand the Ashakirana programme, which provides free eye examinations, surgeries, and spectacles. The programme is already operational in the districts of Chikkaballapur, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Raichur, Uttara Kannada, and Mandya. It will now be launched in the remaining 22 districts at a cost of ₹13.30 crore.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
