The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a dedicated Health Insurance Assistance Centre for Home Guards in Visakhapatnam as part of a welfare initiative aimed at providing health coverage to personnel and their families. The centre was inaugurated by State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita.
According to government information, 975 Home Guards have been included in the first phase of the scheme. The coverage will also extend to their spouses and up to two children. More than 3,140 beneficiaries are expected to receive direct benefits under the initial phase.
Under the scheme, Home Guards will receive free annual health insurance coverage ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹33 lakh. The government said the coverage will be provided without any payment by beneficiaries.
The government stated that the initiative is intended to provide health security to personnel who play a role in maintaining policing and law and order despite receiving relatively low wages.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita said Home Guards are a key component of the state’s security system but had long lacked adequate healthcare protection and social security benefits.
She said the scheme had been designed keeping in view issues including low wages, limited medical facilities and risks faced during service. The minister also said the initiative was aimed at improving the standard of living of Home Guards.
Government officials said the programme marks the first time a state in India has introduced a dedicated health insurance assistance centre and a specialised health insurance scheme for Home Guards. Officials said the initiative is being viewed as a model project that could be implemented in other states in the future.
Home Guards frequently work alongside the police department in crowd management, emergency response, election duties and maintaining law and order. The government stated that the scheme seeks to reduce disparities in welfare support and provide improved health protection to personnel.
In a government statement, authorities said the programme is expected to provide relief to the families of Home Guards, particularly in cases where immediate financial support has been limited during service-related deaths or serious accidents. The health insurance scheme is expected to reduce the burden of medical expenses on families.
The Health Insurance Assistance Centre will provide Home Guards with services related to health insurance at a single location, including registration support, claims processing assistance and access to information, with the aim of simplifying procedures and improving transparency.
The state government said the scheme could be expanded if implemented successfully and may be extended as the number of Home Guards increases. The government is also considering linking other welfare programmes with the model in the future.
