Finally, insurance cover for paramilitary forces

Here's a morale booster for the paramilitary forces. For the first time ever, all paramilitary organisations will be brought under a government-sponsored group insurance scheme.

Here8217;s a morale booster for the paramilitary forces. For the first time ever, all paramilitary organisations will be brought under a government-sponsored group insurance scheme.

The Government is expected to spend around Rs 30 crore to insure the 7.5-lakh strong force, spread under seven paramilitary outfits, against death, accident and disability.

Paramilitary forces are deployed in hazardous areas and tasked to combat insurgency and guard the frontiers. Though less than the army, casualties in these organisations have shown a rising trend over the past three years. While 41 personnel were killed in counter-insurgency operations close to border areas in 2004, the number rose to 70 last year. CRPF suffered the maximum damage from Naxalite areas, where 76 personnel were killed in 2005 alone.

SSB and CRPF officials believe the measure would contribute tremendously to boosting morale.

Families of jawans killed in action are currently given nominal amounts from the welfare funds and sometimes by the states where they were deployed.

The finer details of the scheme will be chalked out after Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is learnt to have already agreed in principle to the plan, provides his final nod. Sources said that though the ministry is in favour of signing up with any PSU, the option of private companies has also been kept open.

Under the plan, personnel will not have to bear any expenses. But it is likely that a 8220;flexible module8221; will be prepared in consultation with the insurance companies. This means they would be permitted to avail more plans from the same agencies by contributing from their salary for post-retirement benefits over and above the format finalised by the ministry.

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The exercise to provide insurance began several months ago with the formation of a committee comprising representatives from all paramilitary outfits. The final report furnished details about the schemes available, those that can be availed and the categories that could be covered. Subsequently, the ministry held several rounds of discussions to finetune the proposal, which will now be forwarded to Patil.

The army8217;s headstart

The Army Insurance Group Fund AIGF was started three decades ago to provide insurance cover to jawans involved in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast as civilian insurance companies did not have plans for war or war-like situations.

But unlike the free scheme for the paramilitary, an army officer is insured for Rs 15 lakh on a monthly subscription of Rs 1,500 and junior commissioned officers and other personnel for Rs 7.5 lakh on a monthly subscription of Rs 750.

The AIGF on an average handles 2,000 army casualties every year, gives disability cover and takes care of the retired, widows and minors. This is in addition to car and home loans.