By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 9, 2018: Odisha will roll out Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) from August 15 benefitting close to 70 lakh families ensuring health care aid up to Rs 5 lakh per family per annum and Rs 7 lakh for women.

Letters from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik containing details of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana will reach the doorsteps 70 lakh beneficiary families across the state within seven days.

The Health and Family Welfare department has issued guidelines for distribution of letters to all beneficiaries. As per the guidelines, the distribution of the letters will begin after the Chief Minister inaugurates the new scheme on August 15.

Earlier the Naveen Patnaik government rejected the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme – primarily an insurance model and announced to implement BSKY.

District level committees will be formed which will review the progress of distribution of BSKY letters on a daily basis while the Collectors will send the compiled daily distribution report collected from Block development Officers (BDOs) and communicate it to the State office.

Similarly, a committee headed by the BDO concerned will also be constituted in all blocks. The committee will comprise Tehsildar, deputy director of agriculture, ABDO, medical officer and CDPO as members.

The BDOs will distribute the letters through village agriculture workers, Gram Rozgar Sathis, Anganwadi workers, Asha workers, revenue inspectors and village level workers.

Executive officers will serve the letters through tax collectors, revenue inspectors, Anganwadi workers and urban Asha workers. “Since it is a time-bound drive, the Government will give incentives to officials involved in distribution of letters. The distribution will start on August 15 and completed in one week,” Dr Meherda added.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties accused the ruling party of blatant use of the state machinery to woo voters in the coming polls through such schemes.