Indian Express 08.12.2010
Only 24 students availed of MCD insurance in four years
Express News Service Tags : Municipal Corporation of Delhi, insurance policy, students Posted: Wed Dec 08 2010, 01:30 hrs
New Delhi: Owing to lack of awareness, only 24 students have availed of an insurance policy introduced by the MCD that was meant to benefit 10 lakh of them over the last four years. Through the scheme, beneficiaries stand to receive up to Rs 50,000 in case of death, loss of limb or hospitalisation.Also, the MCD was supposed to provide glasses and hearing aids to students through its health scheme. However, due to lack of awareness, only 1,042 glasses and 20 hearing aids were given away in the last one year.
According to sources, students are entitled to monetary compensation from the school in the case of an accident, loss of limb or hospitalisation for more than a day. The insurance policy is being provided by Oriental Insurance, for which MCD pays a premium of 79 paisa per child annually.
As the MCD has 10 lakh children in its schools, the civic body has been paying Rs 9.5 lakh as premium to the insurance company every year.
According to sources in the MCD, the students are not benefitting because they are not aware of their rights and schools are not holding enough meetings between teachers and parents to pass on information regarding the scheme to the latter.
“It is up to the principals of the schools and the Education department of each zone to spread awareness on the scheme among parents and students. However, they have failed to carry out their duty,” said a senior MCD official.
Stating that health policies have also been affected because there is no awareness among the potential beneficiaries, he said, “At least half a dozen health camps dealing with eye, ear and dental problems, besides blood camps, were held at Jahangirpuri and Civil Lines in the last few months. However, very few students turned up for them.”
