The Congress party has criticised the NDA Government for "renaming, repackaging and relaunching" the social security schemes of the UPA Government and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to project them as big achievements through event management style. PM Modi on Saturday launched Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) in Kolkatta.
"The subterfuge and plagiaristic repackaging with which these schemes were launched, bely the Prime Minister's claims. The fact is that the high voltage media exercise undertaken, was yet again a blatant attempt at renaming, repackaging and relaunching coupled with the now characteristic event management style of governance. It has again established the NAMO style of governance i.e. Nothing Original-Message Only," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
He added that the entire exercise is aimed at trying to take credit pro people policies, "in the midst of the anti-people Suit Boot Sarkar image". The Congress leader said that he "sincerely" hoped that Modi Government will not shut these schemes down since they provided security umbrella to 17 crore people in the country.
While launching the schemes PM had said that he was not initiating them to "reap political benefits" and that he was not one of those "several small-time politicians who launch certain schemes to win the next election. "Having put the launch in the right perspective, the Congress party hopes that the Prime Minister and his Government will now work beyond media-covered, credit-taking launch events and take the benefits to the people," Surjewala said.
The Congress party claimed that all these three social sector schemes were launched by the UPA Government. "The people of this country, however, can see through this subterfuge. They know that the schemes are nothing but a repackaged Aam Aadmi Beema Yojana (AABY), Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Beema Yojana (RGSSBY) and the Rashtriya Swasthya Beema Yojana (RSBY)- schemes that the previous Government launched with an aim to widen the social security net," Surjewala said.
Surjewala claimed that ever since their launch in 2007 and 2008, the schemes benefited about five crore (AABY), 42 lakhs (RGSSBY) and 12 crore (RSBY) people and an amount of Rs 2,155 crore, Rs 327.71 crore and Rs 4,300.07 crore, respectively has been disbursed already. "The cumulative number of individuals covered under these schemes exceeds 17 crore (six crore families) and the amount benefiting them sums up to over Rs 7,800 crore," he said.
Elaborating about the schemes launched by the previous Government, he said that the Aam Aadmi Beema Yojna (AABY) carries a premium of Rs 200 per annum with 50 per cent of this amount being subsidised from the Social Security Fund.
He said that further in case of Rural landless Households and Special Occupational Groups, 100 per cent premium is subsidised. The scheme also envisaged an accident or permanent disability cover of Rs 75,000 and natural death cover of Rs 30,000.
Talking about Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Beema Yojana (RGSSBY), he said that the scheme envisages payment of premium of Rs 897 per annum out of which premium of only Rs 200 per annum is payable by general category and Rs 100 per annum is payable by SC/ST/BPl and the remaining premium is payed by the Government. Similarly, Rashtriya Swasthya Beema Yojana (RSBY) has been implemented in 25 States, covering nearly all BPl households and beneficiaries under RSBY get automatic hospitalisation coverage of up to Rs 30,000 for most diseases, for up to five members of the family.