Tender process of Balasaheb insurance plan in final stage: Maharashtra government

The tender process related to the Balasaheb Thackeray Accidental Insurance Scheme in Maharashtra is in its final stage and its implementation will happen soon, the Legislative Council was informed on Friday. Health Minister Deepak Sawant said once this scheme, which seeks to ensure no accident victim is denied immediate treatment in hospital, comes into force, the state will have three government-sponsored health plans for citizens.

Sawant was replying to a calling attention motion over the accident insurance scheme moved by Prasad Lad (BJP).

He said this scheme was approved on June 7, 2016, by the state cabinet.

"However, the central government came up with the Ayushman Bharat health scheme. We have now got clarity about this (Balasaheb Thackeray) scheme which is in the final stage of implementation," Sawant said.

He informed the Upper House that once this scheme is implemented, the state will have three health plans - the other two being Ayushman Bharat and the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.

Under the Balasaheb Thackeray Accidental Insurance Scheme, an accident victim will get a maximum benefit of Rs 30,000 or free treatment for 72 hours in the hospital, he said.

The scheme's objective is to ensure no accident victim is denied treatment by any hospital in the state, Sawant said.

The government had announced this scheme in 2015. Lad said despite getting the Cabinet's approval, the accidental insurance scheme had not been implemented to date.

"The result of this is that many accident victims have not been given treatment, leading to threat to their lives," the BJP legislator said.

He said as accidents are increasing day by day, the government should implement this scheme without any delay.

According to the health department, the aim of this scheme is to provide treatment in the `golden hour' to accident victims on any road in the state.