LIC covers 1.73 people under social security schemes

Hyderabad, Oct 4 (UNI) The public sector Life Insurance Corporation of India has covered over 1.73 crore people in the country, including 6.84 lakh persons Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the South Central Zone, under social security schemes.

Speaking to media here today, LIC Zonal Manager T Chattopadhyay said it had covered over 2.10 lakh rickshaw pullers and autorickshaw drivers and 3.5 lakh members of women self-help groups under the Janshree Bima Yojana in the zone, covering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

With the LIC earning Rs 1.50 crore under the Janashree Bima Yojana last year, the benefit had been passed on to policy holders in the form of cut in premium to just Rs 50 this year, as against Rs 100 last year, Regional Manager (P and GS) P Satyanandam explained.

The labour department in Andhra Pradesh had come forward to identify all 44 occupation groups, including beedi workers, plantation workers and fishermen, in all the districts for wider coverage of BPL persons, they said, adding the LIC had settled 4,721 death claims amounting to Rs 10.17 crore in 2005-06 and 2,655 death claims amounting to Rs 6.13 crore so far in 2006-07.

Providing free add-on benefit for children of Janashree Bima Yojana policy holders, LIC had paid 79,390 scholarships amounting to Rs 4.46 crore last year and 21,414 scholarships amounting to Rs 1.07 crore so far this year, they added.

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