KATHMANDU, MAY 15

The Karnali Provincial Government has insured nearly 1.7 million residents under a collective accident insurance scheme to address loss of life from natural disasters.

The programme, implemented under the "Collective Accident Insurance Programme for Disaster Risk, 2081," has been launched through an agreement between the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers and Rastriya Beema Company Limited for a one-year period.

According to officials, the scheme covers 1,688,412 residents of the province, with an insurance amount of Rs 200,000 per person. The government will pay an annual premium of Rs 9.33 per individual, totalling Rs 15.75 million.

The renewed agreement has come into effect from Baisakh 30 (May 13) and is based on a previous arrangement signed in 2019.

Under the scheme, families of individuals who die due to natural disasters will be eligible to claim insurance. Claims must be filed within 35 days of the incident, with provisions to extend up to 180 days with valid justification and recommendations from local authorities.

The insurance covers deaths caused by disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, lightning, storms, cold waves, heat waves, fires, forest fires and wildlife attacks, among others. New provisions have also included deaths due to falls, rockfalls and drowning.

Eligibility is limited to permanent residents of Karnali Province, although beneficiaries will be covered regardless of where the incident occurs. Nepali citizens from other provinces working within Karnali are also included in the scheme.

To facilitate the claim process, the insurer will deploy representatives in all districts to assist in documentation and verification. Authorities said awareness programmes will also be conducted to inform the public about the scheme.

The agreement requires insurance claims to be settled within 15 days of submission of all necessary documents, with payments directly deposited into beneficiaries' bank accounts.

(With inputs from RSS)