Technical Support Unit – TANSACS - PACS

Pradhan Mantari Suraksha Bima Yojana for Peer Educators and HRGs

The Tamil Nadu Technical Support Unit (TNTSU) is supporting 90 targeted interventions (TIs), 85 TIs in Tamil Nadu and 5 TIs in Pondicherry. The TNTSU in 2018 did an analysis and found that most of the Peer educators (PEs), outreach workers (ORWs) and many of the high risk groups (HRGs) in the project area were not covered under any insurance scheme.

In a regional review meeting (RRM) in 2018, it was discussed with Mr. Subramanian Swaminathan, Team Leader, TSU TN & PY that PEs and ORWs travel to extensive areas and thus were vulnerable to accidents, injury during the travel. It was also shared that many HRGs did not have any insurance scheme in the operational area of TNTSU.

Subsequently, the TNTSU found that a scheme Pradhan Mantari Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)[1] or “Prime Minister Protection Insurance scheme” would be a viable option for the PEs, ORWs and other HRGs in all the TNTSU supported TIs. All the POs, PMs of the all the TI Projects were oriented on PMSBY.

The benefit of the PMSBY scheme were:

1. Death- INR2 Lakh (approximately $3000)

2. Total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes or loss of use of both hands or feet or loss of sight of one eye; loss of use of one hand or one foot-INR2 Lakh (approximately $3000)

3. Total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or loss of use of one hand or one foot-INR1 Lakh (approximately $1500)

The total amount that can be claimed under the policy is INR2 Lakh (approximately $3000) only. The premium for this scheme is INR12/- per annum. Major exception for this policy is intentional self-injury, suicide or attempted suicide whilst under the influence of intoxication liquor or drugs. Any loss arising from an act made in breach of law with or without criminal intent is also an exception in the policy.

“I never had a Bank account earlier. But to avail the PMSBY scheme my account was opened by the efforts of Mr. Kumar, PM- TI, Salem Aravanigal Tai Vizhugal Trust (SATVT) TI, Salem. I have three children and after getting the insurance coverage under PMSBY, I am feeling more secure,” says Sarasu, an ORW working in the SATVT TI. “My friends who are working as PE in SATVT explained the benefits and I was convinced to get covered under this scheme. We were all given an orientation on this scheme in a systematic manner by Mr. Kumar, Mr. Baskar, PO-TI, TSU. Everything was explained in detail which helped us understand the policy. I felt more motivated to work after being a part of this scheme,” says Rakkiyanan, a PE working for MSMs in SATVT TI. “In few places where the Bank showed resistance to opening the Bank account for the HRGs, I myself approached the Bank Managers to sort out the issues and expedite the process,” says Mr. Kumar.

“Till now about 1652 PE and HRGs across all the TANSACS & PACS supported TIs, have been covered under the insurance scheme. It is a huge achievement for the TSU TN & PY,” says the team members of TSU.