Haryana to extend insurance benefit to rickshaw-pullers

The Haryana government has decided to extend the benefit of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to rickshaw-pullers, ragpickers, miners, sanitary workers and autorickshaw and taxi drivers.
The decision will cover 2.16 lakh additional people, a Health Department spokesman said here today.
Those who will benefit from the decision include 27,000 rickshaw-pullers, 23,000 ragpickers, 27,000 miners, 22,000 sanitary workers and about 72,000 autorickshaw and taxi drivers, he said.
The estimated financial burden on the exchequer will be Rs 5.80 crore during this financial year, of which 25 per cent (Rs 1.45 crore) will be borne by the state, the spokesman said.
So far, street-vendors, beedi workers, domestic helps, building and other construction workers and MGNREGA workers were covered under the scheme.