Puri: Amid rising COVID-19 cases, all servitors of the Jagannath temple in Puri will get health insurance coverage, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) decided Sunday.
The SJTA Chief Administrator Krishan Kumar held a meeting Sunday afternoon in this regard in the presence of other temple officials and servitors.
According to an official source, the SJTA has roped in New India Assurance to provide health insurance coverage for all servitors of the temple. The SJTA later informed about its decision in a tweet.
Also read: Orissa HC restrains BMC from collecting enhanced holding tax till amendment of OMC Act
Over 2,500 families of servitors at the Lord’s service in the Jagannath temple would benefit from the insurance scheme. “The initiative will provide a basic coverage of Rs 2 lakh per family and an additional cover of Rs 1 lakh for critical illness,” the tweet stated.
However, the insurance scheme would also provide an additional sum of Rs 3 lakh for up to 25 servitors including their family members for treatment of cancer and kidney transplant, the tweet added.
Notably, health insurance coverage was a long-standing demand of the servitors. The temple administration had recommended the State Law Department to fix modalities for health insurance for the servitors.
The temple administration had earlier started a group insurance policy for the servitors in 2006. The policy was discontinued in 2011.
PNN