J&K starts insurance scheme for female sericulturists

Jammu and Kashmir agriculture minister GH Mir today started a novel health insurance scheme for the female sericulture workers of the state today.

The insurance scheme devised by the sericulture department in collaboration with ICICI Lombard comprises a minimum premium of Rs56 on the part of the sericulture worker and Rs650 as the share of the state government.

In the first phase, 1000 female sericulturists would be covered and the facility would cover the sericulture worker and three dependents of her family. As per the scheme, the covered worker would be provided medical cover to the tune of Rs15,000 per year including medicines and hospital expenses.

Mir said that women have played an important role in shaping nations and societies and asked them to take sericulture to its age old glory by involving their families in the part time job of rearing cocoons.

He said that though it was heartening to know that the cocoon crop this year got good market value but the production quantity still needs to be scaled up.