IANS
KOLKATA, MAY 9
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched three ambitious social security schemes, relating to the insurance and pension sector and intended at widening the process of financial inclusion.On his first visit to West Bengal after taking over as prime minister, he kickstarted the "Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana" (accident insurance), "Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana" (life insurance) and "Atal Pension Yojana" at a programme in Nazrul Manch here.
West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and union ministers Jayant Sinha and Babul Supriyo attended the function where Modi inaugurated a plaque by pressing a remote button to launch the schemes.
An audio visual film was then shown highlighting salient features of the three schemes. The prime minister then handed out certificates to the first three subscribers - including two women.
The Jan Suraksha Yojana, under which the schemes were launched countrywide, is expected to reduce the number of zero balance bank accounts created under the Jan Dhan Yojana. The schemes target the poor and unorganised sector who are neither covered by any form of insurance nor get pension.
Under the accident insurance scheme, a person will be provided cover of Rs.200,000 for an annual premium of Rs.12. The cover is for accidental death or permanent total disability.
The scheme will be available to people in the age group of 18 to 70 years with a savings bank account, who give their consent to join and enable auto-debit on or before May 31 for the coverage period - June 1 to May 31 - on an annual renewal basis.
The life insurance scheme will offer a renewable one year life cover of Rs.200,000 to all savings bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 50 years, covering death due to any reason, for a premium of Rs.330 per annum per subscriber.
On the other hand, the pension scheme focuses on the unorganised sector and provides subscribers a fixed minimum pension of Rs.1,000, Rs.2,000, Rs.3,000, Rs.4,000 or Rs.5,000 per month starting at the age of 60 years, depending on the contribution option exercised on entering at an age between 18 and 40 years.
Thus, the period of contribution by any subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.
The benefit of fixed minimum pension enjoys sovereign guarantee.
While the scheme is open to bank account holders in the prescribed age group, the central government would also co-contribute 50 percent of the total contribution or Rs. 1,000 per annum, whichever is lower, for five years.
The government contribution will be for those joining the scheme before Dec 31, 2015, are not members of any statutory social security scheme and are not income tax payers.
No future in violence: Modi
The future lies in peace and not in violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Saturday, hours after Maoist rebels took some people "hostage" in the state.
Addressing a public rally in the Maoist-infested Dantewada, Modi said: "There is no future in violence. If there is a future, it is in peace."
Chhattisgarh has the "power to change the future of India", he said. He also announced the investment of Rs.24,000 crore in the Bastar region.
"Perhaps it is for the first time that in a programme like this MoUs worth Rs.24,000 crore have been signed. This will change Bastar's future," Modi said.
"Send iron out and get steel from outside. This would go on but now this has to stop. We will make steel from the iron ore," the prime minister said.
Inspector General (IG) of Bastar I.G Kalluri told mediapersons that five to six people have been held by the Maoists.
Earlier, media reports said around 500 people were held captive by the Maoists in Marenga village when they were on their way to attend Modi's rally here.
The union home ministry also dismissed the hostage-like situation in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today advised students to remain focused on their goals and not to judge their life through the prism of success or failure.
Interacting with school students at Education City in the naxal hub, Modi told them that he saw 125 crore Indians as his family members and working for them never tires him.
While answering a student's question on how he dealt with stress after working for 18 hours a day, he said he never counts the number of hours he works.
"I never calculate how many hours I work because the moment one does that it is not so enjoyable. One can never get tired while working, what tires a person is not being able to work. The more one works the better it is. When you finish your homework, don't you feel happy and satisfied?
"When we live for our own people one cannot get tired. The people of India are my own. Won't I feel happy to work for them," he told them while taking their questions.
Asking them not to judge their life through the prism of success and failure, he said, "What is most important how much you learn from your failures. If you are focused on your goal and working to achieve it, these things do not matter."
On a visit to Chhattisgarh, Modi asked students to take interest in sports even if they want to be IAS officers or doctors and gave them example of tribal girls from Jharkhand who have done well in sports at the international level.
Asked what he would be if not a politician, he said he would like to be a child.
