Firemen don’t need life insurance, compensation given is enough: BMC

The civic administration dismissed a resolution passed by corporators in the civic general body meeting to introduce life insurance for firemen employed with the Mumbai Fire Brigade. HT reports.

The civic administration dismissed a resolution passed by corporators in the civic general body meeting to introduce life insurance for firemen employed with the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The civic administration has refused to frame a policy to the effect.

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A resolution to introduce life insurance for around 2,500 firemen in the city had been proposed by former mayor Shubha Raul in February 2006.

However, the administration has now decided against providing life insurance for them.

The civic body claims the existing policy, which entitles monetary compensation to a deceased fireman’s family if he dies during firefighting, is sufficient.

However, Raul said the civic general body would refer the proposal back to the administration and demand the life insurance.

“It is unfair to deny firemen life insurance, which has a much wider scope than a case-by-case monetary compensation. This would give firemen and their families an assurance of help from the BMC,” said Raul.

“Any resolution that we put forward is a result of our interactions with those affected by it. Firemen constantly risk their lives and giving them life insurance would address their concerns”.

Raul added that the administration should take the interests of firemen into account before taking such arbitrary decisions. The BMC has claimed it already has a compensation policy in place.

“If a fire official is injured at an accident spot, his medical treatment charges are borne by the BMC. In case of death while firefighting, the family is entitled to monetary compensation,” said the written reply issued by the civic administration.