Surkhet, May 16: The Karnali Provincial Government has introduced a group accident insurance scheme aimed at reducing the impact of loss of life and property caused by natural disasters.
Under the Operational Procedure for the Group Accident Insurance Programme Against Disaster Risks, 2081, approved by the provincial Cabinet, a one-year insurance agreement has been signed between the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers (OCMCM) and National Insurance Company Limited.
The renewed agreement was signed in Surkhet on Friday, extending disaster insurance coverage for another year under a programme first launched in 2019.
According to the procedure, around 1.688 million residents of Karnali Province will be covered under the scheme, with an insured amount of Rs. 200,000 per person. The provincial government will pay an annual premium of Rs. 9.33 per person, amounting to a total premium of Rs. 15.75 million, fully covered by the government.
Families of individuals who die due to natural disasters will be eligible to claim insurance compensation. Claims must generally be submitted within 35 days of the incident. However, claims may still be filed within 180 days if valid reasons for delay are provided along with recommendations from the relevant office, District Administration Office, or local authority.
According to Under-Secretary Uttam Gautam, beneficiaries must be permanent residents of Karnali Province to receive insurance benefits.
He added that permanent residents of Karnali who die in natural disasters anywhere in Nepal will also be covered. In addition, Nepali citizens from other provinces working in government, non-governmental, or other sectors within Karnali have also been included in the insurance programme.
The policy covers deaths caused by disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, avalanches, glacial lake outburst floods, storms, lightning, wildfires, heatwaves, cold waves, and drowning incidents. For the first time, the insurance policy has also included deaths caused by wild animal attacks, falls from cliffs, falling rocks, and drowning in rivers and streams.
To simplify the claim settlement process, the insurance company will appoint one representative in each district of Karnali to collect necessary documents from incident sites. Compensation must be deposited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts within 15 days after all required documents are submitted.
Speaking at a programme on Friday, Yamlal Kandel stressed the importance of making insurance a reliable support system during difficult times and called for a simpler, faster, and more effective claim settlement process. #Nepal
