Ayushman health cover for para-military personnel, kin acknowledges their role in securing nation: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the various

welfare measures

introduced by the Narendra Modi government for the Central armed police forces (CAPFs), including the ‘

Ayushman CAPF

’ scheme that extends nationwide health cover to all CAPF personnel and their family members, were an acknowledgment of their immense contribution in keeping the nation secure.

“As the CAPF personnel dedicate the golden years of their life to serve the country, it is the government’s responsibility to take care of their families,” Shah said while addressing the

Raising Day

function of BSF organised this year at the Rohitas border outpost in Jaisalmer. The event was attended by jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, DG BSF Pankaj Kumar Singh and other senior officers of BSF
.
Shah said 25 lakh ‘Ayushmaan CAPF health cards’ had been distributed till December 2, 2021, including 4.5 lakh to BSF personnel. “We hope to finish distributing the

health cards

to all CAPF personnel and their families by February 2 next year,” he said.

The use of modern technology in Ayushman CAPF scheme, the home minister said, would reduce administrative burden of the forces as processes like filing of bill claims, verifying bills and approving claims can now be completed with “one swipe of the card”. “So while the jawan spends his youth guarding the country, his old parents, children will be able to get cashless in-patient and outpatient treatment at all approved hospitals in the country,” he noted.

Shah mentioned ongoing efforts by the government to raise the CAPFs’ housing satisfaction ratio. “By 2024, there will be great improvement in this area. In one year, we hope to introduce a scientific system to ensure that the jawan gets to spend at least 100 days with his family every year,” he told the BSF jawans.

Shah — who also interacted with the BSF troops during a Sainik Sammelan and Barakhana (BSF community dinner) and discussed the challenges faced by them under the current operational scenario — spoke of other ongoing welfare initiatives like PM scholarship scheme, reservation of seats in MBBS and BDS courses for children of para-military personnel and compensation from government corpus to those who are martyred or injured on duty.

Stating that he was in Rohitash border outpost for the night to understand the hardships that the BSF personnel face while guarding an area that sees temperature range between 0 degree and 50 degree Celsius in an year, he said the Modi government was committed to do whatever is required, for the BSF.

“We and all 130 crore Indians can sleep peacefully, secure in the knowledge that the forces are there to keep the nation secure. That also creates a conducive environment for new industries to be set up, social welfare schemes to be implemented and for start-ups to contribute to making India a global leader,” said the home minister.