Cashless health scheme for govt staff, pensioners

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 17

In a significant decision benefiting over 6.5 lakh employees and pensioners of the state government, the Cabinet today gave its nod for implementing a cashless health insurance scheme in lieu of the existing policy of reimbursement of medical expenses.

A decision to this effect was taken during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held at Punjab Bhawan this evening. 

In a Rs 107 crore gift to the employees, the facility of cashless treatment would be provided to government employee/pensioners and their dependents in more than 250 empanelled public and private hospitals in Punjab, Chandigarh and NCR (Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida).

To safeguard the interests of general public against frauds by financial establishments, the Cabinet okayed the Punjab Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Bills, 2015. 

The Cabinet also approved the creation of 417 posts of beldar in the Forest and Wildlife Department to regularise those beldars who have completed 10 years in service and were left out in 2011.

To enable the Excise and Taxation Department to maximise the collection of taxes and duties and provide prompt and hassle free services to the tax payers, the Cabinet gave green signal for restructuring of the Excise and Taxation Technical Services Agency. 

To ensure proper upkeep of memorials, the Cabinet gave nod for introduction of a Bill in the coming Assembly session. 

To widen the ambit of Bhagat Puran Singh Beema Yojna, the Cabinet approved to cover 28.05 lakh blue card holder families under this scheme. All the eligible families under this scheme would be entitled for free treatment worth Rs 30,000 annually in 214 government and 177 registered private hospitals. All eligible families would be registered in a phased manner.