(UNI) The Government on Friday proposed to launch a mega pension yojana namely ‘Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan’ for the unorganised sector workers with monthly income of up to Rs 15,000 in addition to the health coverage provided under ‘Ayushman Bharat’ and life and disability coverage provided under ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’ and ‘Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana’.
Presenting the Interim Budget 2019-20 in Parliament, Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said, ”Past five years have seen massive scale up of health care. Earlier, a poor man used to be in a dilemma whether to fulfil daily needs of the family or save the life of an ailing member,” he said.
Mr Goyal said, ”This situation has deeply pained our Prime Minister. We launched the world’s largest healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat, to provide medical treatment to nearly 50 crore people. Under this scheme, till date treatment has been provided to nearly 10 lakh patients which would have cost them Rs 3,000 crore through free treatment made available under the scheme.”
Lakhs of poor and middle class people are also benefiting from reduction in the prices of essential medicines, cardiac stents and knee implants, and availability of medicines at affordable prices through Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
