JOIN USArogya Bhagya — the State government’s family insurance scheme for police personnel — will now be extended to outpatients as well.
Police personnel and their families can get free treatment at select hospitals under the scheme, Chief Minster Siddaramaiah announced at the investiture ceremony here on Thursday. Besides, health units would be set up at all district headquarters for the policemen, he added. At the event, 126 police officers were presented with the chief minister’s medal.
The government would also set up canteens at all district headquarters to provide police personnel with home appliances, minus the Value Added Tax (VAT), the chief minister said. In addition, the standards of police schools at Bangalore, Dharwad and Mysore — where children of police personnel are enrolled — would be improved on a par with the international schools, he added.
On the staff crunch in the police force, Siddaramaiah said that as many as 8,500 of the total 19,000 vacancies would be filled in the current year. An equal number of police personnel would be recruited the next year. Also, houses would be provided to more than 50 per cent police personnel.
The honorarium of police personnel winning chief minister’s medals would be raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.