Panaji: Nearly three months after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced in the state Budget that the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) would be extended to government employees, thousands of serving government employees continue to remain outside the ambit of the flagship health insurance scheme, with the proposal yet to receive final government approval.
The delay has left many employees frustrated, particularly those who recently attempted to renew their DDSSY cards online only to discover that their cards had been blocked.
“A draft notification proposing the inclusion of serving government employees under DDSSY, along with amendments incorporating the revised insurance slabs, was forwarded to the government for approval soon after the Budget,” sources in the Health Department told ‘The Navhind Times’.
The government has implemented enhanced insurance cover under DDSSY, increasing the annual health cover to Rs 4 lakh for families comprising up to three members and Rs 6 lakh for families with four or more members.
“Approval from the government is still awaited,” a senior official said.
After the Chief Minister’s Budget announcement, government employees were expecting to regain access to the scheme. However, several employees attempting online renewal for the 2026-27 policy period found that the portal rejected their applications.
Employees said the situation had created confusion as the government’s public announcement raised expectations that the benefit would be available during the current policy year.
“The Budget clearly stated that government employees would be brought under DDSSY. We waited for the renewal window, but instead our cards have been blocked. We still do not know when the notification will be issued,” a government employee whose application could not be renewed said.
