HEALTH PACKAGE SCHEME FOR HANDLOOM WEAVERS

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The Government has been implementing the Health Package Scheme for the handloom weavers in the country. Under the scheme, assistance is provided towards cost of reimbursement of medicines upto Rs. 1500/- per weaver per annum for treatment of Tuberculosis, Asthma and inflammation of alimentary system; and cost of spectacles limited to Rs. 150/- and eye-testing limited to Rs. 40/- per weaver; maternity benefit in the form of lump sum grant to women weavers or women belonging to weavers’ households @ Rs. 500 per woman per delivery, twice in her life-time; and monetary incentive at the rate of Rs. 100/- per head to each handloom weaver/his or her spouse, who undertakes permanent measures for family planning. Besides this, in order to provide potable drinking water, assistance of Rs. 35,000/- per bore well is provided for every 50 weaver households and up to Rs. 1.00 lakh for providing infrastructure for each of the primary health care centres in areas having a concentration of weaver population. An amount of Rs. 55.11 lakh was released to the State of Gujarat during the year 2000-01 for implementation of the Health Package Scheme. Thereafter, no further proposal has been received from the State Government under this scheme.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles, Shri Basanagouda R. Patil, in reply to a question by Shri Ratilal Kalidas Varma Patel in the Lok Sabha today.