Assam extends zero-cost insurance cover to staff; CM hands cheques to 7 families

Guwahati, Nov 12: Seven families received insurance benefit cheques under the Assam government’s Zero Cost Employee Insurance Scheme on Wednesday, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presenting the payouts at an official event.

The scheme, designed to provide comprehensive insurance coverage to permanent regular government employees at no financial burden, includes air accident insurance of Rs 2 crore, personal accident coverage of Rs 1 crore, permanent total disability cover up to Rs 1 crore, permanent partial disability cover up to Rs 80 lakh and term life insurance of Rs 10 lakh.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister handed over cheques to four families, each receiving Rs 1 crore under the personal accident component.

Two families were given Rs 10 lakh each under group term life insurance, while one family received Rs 75 lakh under the permanent partial disability coverage.

Building on the scheme’s performance, the state government has now extended the same benefits to contractual and PSU employees.

A fresh memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with Axis Bank to formalise their inclusion, offering benefits identical to those provided to regular employees.

“The insurance scheme underscores the state government’s continued commitment to ensuring financial security and dignity for its employees and their families,” Sarma said.

So far, over four lakh government employees have been enrolled across the state. Of the 238 claims reported, 203 have been settled.

This includes 193 families receiving Rs 10 lakh each under group term life insurance and 10 families getting Rs 1 crore each under personal accidental insurance.

Sarma said the scheme is operated through agreements with five major banks, namely State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank and Indian Bank, which provide exclusive salary package accounts offering extensive insurance benefits.

PTI