J&K Guv SP Malik rolls back insurance scheme after Opposition alleges windfall to Anil Ambani’s Reliance

SRINAGAR, OCT 15 (PTK): Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik scrapped the insurance scheme deal on Thursday after it was attacked by the opposition for benefitting only one company – Reliance General Insurance. Malik asked the Chief Secretary and a former order is expected soon in the regard.

Satya Pal Malik in an order on September 20, 2018, chose Reliance General Insurance for implementing the policy which is mandatory for all state government employees.

The order made the insurance scheme mandatory for all state government employees. All employees of PSUs, autonomous bodies and universities of the state government were supposed to be covered in the scheme. The scheme was available at a premium of Rs 8,777 for employees and Rs 22,229 for pensioners.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a jibe at Reliance General Insurance promoter Anil Ambani said it’s easy to land these contracts when “your BFF is the PM”. “Apparently, 400,000 JK Govt staff will also be arm-twisted into buying health insurance ONLY from your company!,” Gandhi had tweeted a while back.

Congress questioned the government for choosing Reliance as the insurance partner, alleging the J&K insurance scheme is part of the “Modi-Reliance” nexus – in a reference to Opposition’s ongoing attack on the government over Rafale deal. The Congress president claimed that Governor Satya Pal Singh administration “arm-twisted” the people of J&K to accept the deal by making it mandatory.

The scheme provided an insurance cover of Rs Rs 600,000 to individuals and family members on floater basis. “The policy is mandatory for all the state government employees (Gazetted as well as Non-gazetted), State Universities, Commissions, Autonomous Bodies and PSUs,” as the official order issued by the governor then. (PTK)