Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed the principal secretaries of Finance and Agriculture departments to hold discussions with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) authorities for evolving modalities for introducing the scheme, including fixing the premium.
The Chief Minister averred that the health-cum-life insurance cover for farmers announced by him is sure to show the way for the entire farming community across the country. Mr. Rao, who examined the salient features of the insurance scheme introduced by the Central Government in which farmers have to share the premium that should be paid to the insurers, opined that the State should opt for its own scheme that should be offered free of cost to farmers. Mr. Rao held a meeting with Ministers and senior officials on the proposed insurance scheme, being designed as group insurance scheme, and the processes required to be completed before officially launching it. He recalled that farmers of Telangana faced lot of distress in the united State and hence, the TRS government had taken up a spree of initiatives for alleviating their distress. The proposed that the insurance scheme is one such measure illustrating the government’s commitment to farmers’ cause.
The previous governments in the united State had never considered the farmers’ issues with a human angle. Asserting that the government is firm on addressing the farmers’ issues, he stressed the need for bringing the community out of trauma they face by putting in place variety of schemes, including the investment support scheme, insurance scheme and many such measures that are expected to follow.
The Chief Minister underlined the need for ensuring payment of ₹5 lakh as insurance amount to the families of farmers who die, whatever may be the reason. The government is committed to help farmers wholeheartedly and every farmer should get the benefit of insurance scheme irrespective of the size of the landholding, he said.
He said the government had decided to entrust the responsibility of implementing the insurance scheme to the LIC, a Government of India undertaking, owing to its large network and the trust people have in it. The scheme is yet another initiative with longevity which the future governments at any point of time should invariably continue. Budgetary allocations should be made for the payment of premium so that it can become an assured payment, Mr. Rao said.
Given the importance attached to the scheme, the officials concerned should work out with the LIC authorities about the different models, including age group wise model, and finalise the scheme after thorough discussions. The insurance papers should be prepared village and mandal-wise and adequate care should be taken regarding the entry of the name of the nominee during the preparation of the policy, the Chief Minister said. Ministers Eatala Rajender, G. Jagdish Reddy and P. Mahender Reddy, government’s chief advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi and other senior officials attended the meeting.
