Representation for giving subsidy in premium for Health Insurance to Senior Citizens.

To                                              Date: 22-3-11.

Shri Lalit Kumar,

Director (Insurance) & A. A., Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services,Government of India, Jeevan Vihar, 3^{rd Floor, Parliament Street, New Delhi.}

^{Dear Sir,}

^{Sub: Information under RTI Act, 2005.}

^{Ref: Your letter no. F14016/05/2011-Ins. II/RTI dt 8-3-11 received}

 ^{on 15-3-11.}

^{Thank you for giving various documents. Letter dt 21-1-09 from IRDA does not contain enclosures and in absence thereof, no idea can be got about recommendations for insurance for senior citizens. Enclosures may kindly be sent. MOHF`s reply to your letter dt 29-9-08 and details of paras 12.47 to 12.50 pertaining to MOHF may also be given to get some idea of their involvement. Result of consideration by Revenue Department during Budget Exercise (2010-11 & 2011-12) may also be indicated. Action taken on IRDA`s Letter dt 25-5-09 is also not advised. Copies of all notings in your Ministry on this subject may please be given. It is not physically possible to come to your office to read documents at this age of 78 and the Act provides that relevant papers including notings, as available in records should be supplied. As per Right to Information Act, 2005 & Guide Lines for CPIO issued by Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & P. in their Memorandum no. 1/69/2007-IR dt 27-2-07, CPIO has to facilitate, help & guide the Applicant to get the information.}

^{Right to Information Act, 2005 and various directives issued by Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & P. clearly lay down the Guide Lines and Instructions to be followed by A.A.also. Para 3 of their Memorandum no. 1/3/2008-IR dt 25-4-08 reads as under:-}

^{What is Information}

^{3. Information is any material in any form. It includes records, documents,}

^{memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form. It also includes information relating to any private body which can be accessed by the public authority under any law for the time being in force.}

^{Para 5 of the same Memorandum dt 25-4-08 reads as under:-}

^{5. The Act gives the citizens a right to information at par with the Members of}

^{Parliament and the Members of State Legislatures. According to the Act, the}

^{information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature,}

^{shall not be denied to any person.}

^{Para 3 of their Memorandum no.10/23/2007-IR dt 9-7-07 reads as under:-}

^{3. Deciding appeals under the RTI Act is a quasi-judicial function. It is,therefore,necessary that the appellate authority should see to it that the justice is not only done but it should also appear to have been done. In order to do so ,the order passed by the appellate authority should be a speaking order giving justification for the decision arrived at.}

^{Perusal of the documents sent under your above does not give the required information, which is as under:}

^{1. Information required in item i) of Application as to what action was taken to provide insurance to older persons, giving copies of notings & directives issued so far is not given.}

^{2. Copies of correspondence of para II,III,X to XV required to have some idea as to what is happening for elders are received without important Information in enclosures of letter dt 21-1-09 of IRDA.}

^{3. Proposal/Decisions taken by Finance Ministry to give relief in Insurance and make it affordable, as envisaged in para 36 of NPOP, 99 is not given. For this, it appears from IRDA`s letter dt 25-5-09 now received that they have recommended subsidy of Rs 2000 or any amount that may be fixed by Finance Ministry for every policy taken by Senior Citizen. The level of subsidy to these Senior Citizens must be related to the level of subsidy to BPL Population. The present level of subsidy for BPL Population for cover of Rs 300000 is a meager premium (payment by BPL) of Rs 30 p.a. against the bigger amount paid by Central & State Government.}

^{4. For item ii), thanks for giving E/Mail addresses. Orders issued by Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & P. for registration, replying etc of E/Mails may be seen & followed, as considered fit.}

^{In view of above clarifications, kindly give the required information, keeping in view that i) Provisions of Para 36 in NPOP (read with Para 93 for annual action plan) are pending action by Finance Ministry since 1999; ii) Sashtry Committee recommendations were received in Finance Ministry on 26-5-08; iii) IRDA has given final recommendations on 25-5-09 i. e. almost 2 years before.}

^{Thanking you,}

^{Yours Sincerely,}

^{(M.V.Ruparelia)}