Sibal moots health insurance, housing scheme for teachers

NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday announced a special housing scheme and health insurance for the benefit of the schoolteachers.

Interacting with media on the sidelines of the meeting of the General Committee of National Foundation for Teachers’ Welfare, Sibal said the Centre would take all steps to address the problems faced by the teaching community.

Sibal underlined the contribution of teaching community in building a strong and vibrant India.

“I have been working on a plan for setting up a housing facility, a scheme for group housing for teachers. That is part of the agenda that we will deliberate on and we will explain to you as to how it is of no cost to either the central or the state government,” Sibal said.

He informed that an agency will be formed to take up the task of group housing scheme as per demands of states.

“All that is required is an agency, which will actually built the group housing depending upon the demands that emerges from various state governments and various areas within the state,” Sibal added.

Addressing the meeting, Sibal said that he would hold a meeting of leaders of teaching community of different states in next six months to give a final touch to insurance scheme.

He also urged state governments to be part of the same scheme.

“We have also been talking to the insurance companies and to the other stake holders as to how to have a life insurance in the health scheme of the 60 lakh teachers. All the premiums involved, we shall place those numbers before you, …not exorbitant. I am sure that the teachers would welcome such an initiative,” said Sibal.

Teachers of nearly 1.3 million elementary schools, 20,000 colleges and 500 universities would be entitled to these benefits. (ANI)