The Indiramma Bima scheme, which Telangana plans to provide as free insurance coverage worth ₹5 lakh to every family in the state, will be launched on November 19, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said on Sunday.
Bhatti announced the launch while addressing a meeting of Congress booth-level agents in Chintakani mandal of the erstwhile Khammam district. The proposed scheme is part of the state government’s wider welfare programme, according to the deputy chief minister.
The source report did not specify the insurer, enrolment process, eligibility conditions, premium arrangements, claim procedures or the precise definition of a family under the scheme. These details will determine how households access the promised cover and how the programme is administered after launch.
Bhatti said the government was working with public welfare as its primary objective and listed several existing initiatives during his address. He said nearly 1.06 crore families were receiving six kg of fine rice each month free of cost. He also referred to free bus travel for women, the revival of zero-interest loans for women members of self-help groups and the Gruha Jyothi scheme, under which households receive free electricity for consumption of up to 200 units.
According to Bhatti, around 80% to 90% of households in villages were benefiting from electricity without paying bills. He also said the Rajiv Aarogyasri health insurance coverage for poor people had been increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh. The health coverage and the proposed Indiramma Bima scheme are separate initiatives in the account of his remarks.
The deputy chief minister further said the government had cleared fee reimbursement arrears left pending by the previous government and introduced a system under which the amount is deposited directly into students’ bank accounts. He said nearly 27 lakh students in government schools were receiving free hot breakfast, milk and ragi porridge.
Bhatti also said Young India Integrated Residential Schools were being constructed on 25 acres in every Assembly constituency, while the government was implementing a farmers’ loan waiver and providing ₹12,000 per acre as investment assistance. The source report did not provide the number of families expected to be covered under Indiramma Bima beyond the statement that the scheme would apply to every family in Telangana.
During a visit to the Madhira Assembly constituency, Bhatti also met residents at Neel Kamal tea stall in Mudigonda centre. Some residents told him they had lost their houses because of road-widening works, and he assured them of government support. The report did not provide details of any compensation, rehabilitation plan or administrative order relating to those complaints.
The proposed insurance scheme is scheduled for launch on November 19. Further details on its implementation and household access were not included in the announcement reported by the Times of India.
