The fishermen (machhua) community will get a free accident insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna.
The registration for the scheme has started in the state. It is a free insurance scheme where no premium is charged from beneficiaries ranging from 18 to 70 years. The coverage includes Rs 5 lakh against accidental death or permanent total disability, Rs 2.5 lakh for permanent partial disability and Rs 25,000 for treatment in case of hospitalization due to an accident.
The fisheries department of UP has provided the information about the scheme on its portal. The scheme will bolster the welfare measures that the UP government has already taken up for `machhua’ (Nishads) in the state. The government has announced two new schemes in the 2022-23 budget, Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and Nishadraj Boat Yojana, fully funded by it.
The schemes will cater to the 17 sub-castes of the `machhua’ (fishermen) community in the state who have been hit hard due to the loss of their traditional sources of income and livelihood.
The schemes will provide subsidies to those who have been given lease for ponds in gram sabhas to buy boats and fishing nets and set up fish seed banks. UP has over two crore fishermen. To come up with the exact assessment, the fisheries department is conducting a survey. The ones who are from the BPL category will be identified and picked up first for the uplift.