Angul district tops in the State in implementation of Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY) by enrolling 30,135 families till date. The Yojana was launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Khamar in the district on November 12.
At a review meeting on the progress of the scheme recently, the Chief Secretary appreciated the efforts of Angul Collector Ranjit Mahanty for the achievement. According to district official sources, 30,135 families were brought under the scheme meant to provide health insurance cover to the farmers both below poverty and above poverty line. Out of them, 13,549 families belong to Pallahara block. After Pallahara, Banarpala block enrolled 7,527 families followed by Kaniha with 5,520 and Kishorengar with 3,539.
In Pallahara block, 10 out of 26 gram panchayats have achieved cent per cent enrolment so far. Those panchayats are Khamar, Sankhapur, Badasara, Kunjam, Munduribeda, Allori, Dimiria, Khemela, Iswarnagar and Balipasi, according to Sub-Collector Sarat Chandra Panda.
“The work is going on at breakneck speed to enrol all the eligible families in the block before the deadline of February, 2014. Besides works in the field, constant monitoring is made,” said Panda. “For the task, I have instructed that not only agricultural officers but also other departmental officials should cooperate in implementation of the scheme meant for the much needed welfare of the farmers,” said Collector Mahanty.
While launching the Yojana here, the Chief Minister had set a target to cover 60 lakh families under the health insurance under BKKY by February next year.
Under the scheme, the farmers have been issued smart cards which would enable them to avail treatment at listed private and government hospitals at a cost of upto ` one lakh per year.
For this, non-BPL families will have to make one-time payment of `30 and BPL families need not give anything to the insurance companies engaged by the State Government to be enrolled in the Yojana.