RSBY reached a landmark of distributing 40 lakhs smart card by the end of 31st March 2009. This means that approximately 2 crore beneficiaries across seventeen States of India are now already covered with RSBY. Two states Delhi and Haryana have already finished one year and now in the process of renewal. In further fifteen states enrollment is going on for RSBY. Five more states are about to start the process in next months.
For a scheme which started distributing smart card only in February 2008 it is a credible achievement in only thirteen months. Considering the fact that RSBY needs the insurer to go to the village and issue smart card to the beneficiaries in the village itself after taking their fingerprint and photographs this is not a small achievement.
Seven general/ health insurance companies (Four public and three private) are providing benefits to BPL people. This has resulted in a healthy competition between the insurers. Insurers are also trying to work together so as to learn from the efforts of each other in different states while at the same time they are also trying to synergies their efforts wherever possible. MoLE is also constantly engaging in dialogue with the insurers, State Governments and other stakeholders to constantly fine tune the scheme and improve its efficiency.
