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Cabinet Approves ASHA Benefit Package
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to ASHA Benefit Package w.e.f. October 2018 (to be paid in November 2018) with two components as under:
- ASHAs and ASHA facilitators meeting the eligibility criteria to be enrolled in social security schemes implemented by Government of India namely, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
- An increase in the amount of routine and recurring incentives under National Health Mission for ASHAs under NHM from ₹1000/- per month to ₹2000/-per month.
The package entails an expenditure (Central funding) to ₹1224.97 crore for two years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
No of beneficiaries:
- Estimated 10,636,701 (one crore six lakh thirty six thousand seven hundred one) ASHAS and ASHA facilitators to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.
- Estimated 957,303 (nine lakh fifty seven thousand three hundred three) ASHAS and ASHA facilitators to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
- Estimated 1,022,265 (ten lakh twenty two thousand two hundred sixty five) ASHAs will get at least minimum of ₹2000/- per month from current ₹1000/- for routine activities.
Details:
ASHAs and ASHA Facilitators to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (Life Insurance). The eligibility criteria are 18-70 years. Cover is for one-year period stretching from 1st June to 31st May and benefit is as under:
- ₹2 Lakh in case of death due to accident.
- ₹2 Lakh in case of total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes or loss of use of both hands or feet or loss of sight of one eye and loss of use of one hand or one foot.
- ₹1 Lakh in case of total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or loss of use of one hand or one foot.
The annual Premium of ₹12 per beneficiary will be paid by Central Government.
ASHAs and ASHA Facilitators meeting the age criteria of 18-50 years to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (Accident insurance). The annual premium of ₹330 (average) will be paid by the Central Government. Cover is for one-year period stretching from 1st June to 31st May and benefit is ₹2 Lakh in case of death due to any cause. ASHAs will get a minimum of ₹2000/- per month from current ₹1000/- per month as incentives for routine activities. This is in addition to other task based incentives approved at central/state level.
Implementation Strategy and Targets:
The existing institutional mechanisms for the National Health Mission would be utilized to implement the proposed ASHA Benefit package.
Targets:
- By 31st March 2019- 65 percent of ASHAs and ASHA facilitators to be enrolled in social security schemes implemented by Government of India namely, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
- By 30th October, 2019-100 percent of ASHAs and ASHA facilitators to be enrolled in social security schemes implemented by Government of India namely, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
- The increase in the amount of routine and recurring incentives for ASHAs from ₹1000 per month to ₹2000 per month would be with effect from October 2018 (to be paid in November, 2018). – PIB