Lucknow, Jan 29 (IANS) In a significant move to expand the ambit of cashless mediclaim for the teaching fraternity, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved the facility to about 15 lakh employees in the education sector, including teachers, non-teaching staff and also their dependent family members.

The Yogi Adityanath Cabinet’s decision will benefit teachers, honorary teachers, non-teaching staff, and dependents of government aided & self-financed schools under the Basic and Secondary Education Council.

Briefing the media, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said that 32 proposals were placed before the cabinet, of which 30 received approval.

The initiative was formally announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Teachers’ Day last year, and the state cabinet gave it approval on Thursday. The cashless facility will be available in both government hospitals and private hospitals.

Addressing the press, Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi stated that over 2.97 lakh beneficiaries would be covered under this category, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 89.25 crore.

Similarly, teachers, Shiksha Mitras, special educators, instructors working in schools run or recognised by the Basic Education Council (aided and self-financed), wardens and full-time or part-time teachers of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, as well as cooks engaged under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana, along with their dependents, will also be covered.

Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh informed that more than 11.95 lakh teachers and staff associated with the Basic Education Council would benefit from the scheme. The annual financial outlay for this component is estimated at Rs 358.61 crore, with an average annual premium of around Rs 3,000 per employee.

The cashless treatment facility will be available in government hospitals and private hospitals under the SACHIS. Treatment rates will be aligned with those prescribed under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and norms of the National Health Authority.

Teachers working in self-financed, recognised institutions will receive benefits after due verification. For this purpose, district-level committees will be constituted under the chairmanship of the District Inspector of Schools and the Basic Education Officer.

–IANS

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