Accident cover for 1.4 cr students in state

WHY WAS IT DONE?

MUMBAI: The state government will finally live up to its promise of protecting its students and compensating them in case of an injury or accident.

From this year, state board students from Class 1 to Class 12 who have suffered serious injuries or died in a mishap will receive monetary compensation ranging from Rs30,000 to Rs75,000 within seven days.

A district-level committee headed by a district officer has been appointed to approve the students’ claims, through a government resolution issued on October 1. The scheme will cover more than 1.4 crore students across the state.

Victims or their families will have to submit the claim to the school principal; it will then be forwarded by the zonal education inspector to the committee. Once approved, they will receive the compensation within a week.

“We have revised the scheme for accident cover. The previous one failed because the insurance companies were delaying payments,” said Mahavir Mane, director of primary education, in charge of its implementation.

Students will receive Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 if an accident has damaged one or more organs. Compensation of Rs75,000 will be given to the student’s family only in case of accidental death.

The government has set aside Rs8 crore for the school education and sports department for the implementation of the scheme, of which the department has received Rs5 crore to clear the backlog of 946 claims.

Under the old insurance scheme, 329 students received compensation in 2012-2013 while 403 students received monetary support in 2011-12.