Gehlot bats for Chiranjeevi Health Scheme across country

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday reiterated that the state government's Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme should be implemented across India. The Centre should also take the initiative to make a social security act and implement the Old Pension Scheme for government employees, Gehlot said at the closing ceremony of the All India Presiding Officers' Conference at the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly here.

Claiming that he had already requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gehlot said he was reiterating that his government's Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme should be implemented in the whole country. As part of the scheme, the Rajasthan government provides health insurance of Rs 10 lakh and also bears the expense for organ transplants.

Treatments in in- and out-patient departments at government hospitals are also free, he said. Laying stress on the need for social security for the needy, he said the Centre should make a social security act. "Social security should be compulsory. It is the responsibility of the government to look after the needy families," he said. The chief minister added that Rajasthan was providing social security to one crore people, including the elderly, widows and single women. Adding that Rajasthan had revived the Old Pension Scheme for state government employees on humanitarian grounds, he said the move was criticised but the decision was taken after doing all the calculations.