there is no specific mention for the scheme being in place for the blind. however, i presume it will b applicable? smile! muffi.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sameer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Access India" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 8:13 PM Subject: [AI] Govt. plans insurance scheme for disabled > > > Govt plans insurance scheme for disabled > > Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi September 14, 2007 > > May implement the Rs 2,400 crore programme this fiscal. > > > > While the social security Bill for the unorganized sector may take a long > time in becoming a reality, the disabled in the country may get their own > insurance > > scheme funded by a unique corpus soon. > > > > The disabled who have been denied insurance cover by companies all these > years stand to get insurance as a right once the scheme is in place this > year. > > The source of the funding of the insurance scheme is also unique. > > > > It is to be funded through a Rs 2400 crore corpus that has accrued to the > Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment from public sector banks. > > > > These banks, which had made a profit while rounding off their accounts, > had > been asked by the Supreme Court to spend the money for public good > specifically > > for the disabled after a PIL three years ago. > > > > The ministry, which has started receiving the money, plans to implement > the > insurance scheme in this financial year using the funds. > > > > Interest from this corpus would be used for various disability welfare > schemes and the insurance scheme will benefit from this fund, officials > said. > > > > The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, > Mental retardation and Multiple disabilities and the Chief Commissioner > for > Persons > > with Disabilities are working out the social security cum insurance cover > with various insurance companies. > > > > A three-member team of experts, including Pradeep Ghosh of the NGO Oasis > Bhopal, Dr T V Ramesh of Insurance brokering firm Alegion in Chennai, and > Shyamala, > > director of Adi (formely Spastic Society of Northern India, has been > working > on the insurance scheme with the actuaries of insurance companies for the > > last four months. > > > > Pradeep Ghosh, one of the experts working out details of the insurance > scheme with actuaries, said it was likely to be implemented on a pilot > basis > in one > > or two districts to begin with and would be spread out to the rest of the > country in phases. Ghosh added that it was a big achievement for the > disabled > > as they had been denied insurance cover by all companies so far. > > > > Ghosh himself an Ashoka social entrepreneur who was formerly with the IT > sector said the insurance companies came forward for a > Governemnt-supported > insurance > > scheme after disability activists and lawyer Colin Gonsalvez threatened > last > year to move the court on the denial of insurance cover to disabled. > > > > Poonam Natarajan Chairperson of the National Trust said that the scheme > was > being processed and she would not be in a position to give details now. > > > > However sources said that the insurance cover would later incorporate > products like endowment policies which would provide pensions to the > disabled. > > > > The two national agencies on disability would be sending a proposal of > demands to the insurance companies and the scheme is likely to be > implemented in > > this financial year, sources said. > > > > Regards > > Sameer Latey > Mumbai, India > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
