CS calls for awareness on need for insurance
Chief secretary K Vijayanand
Vijayawada: Chief secretary K Vijayanand on Wednesday called for an extensive public awareness drive on insurance, stressing that awareness is key to achieving the goal of providing insurance coverage to every citizen by 2047. Chairing a meeting of the State Level Insurance Committee at the Secretariat, he directed all departments to actively educate people under their jurisdiction on the importance and benefits of insurance. Vijayanand said the state’s efforts are aligned with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s vision of ‘Insurance for All by 2047.’
He asked departments such as SERP, MEPMA, Swarna Gram, ward and village administrations, along with labour, transport and MSME departments, to play a proactive role in spreading awareness, particularly among vulnerable and unserved sections. To strengthen outreach, lead insurance companies adopted around 5,000 panchayats in the first phase. The chief secretary instructed the finance department, which is overseeing the programme at the state level, to issue immediate directions to departmental secretaries and district collectors to ensure widespread publicity and coordinated action from the state to the grassroots level.
The SLIC, a tripartite mechanism involving IRDAI, the state government and insurance companies, will assess insurance penetration and recommend measures to improve coverage.
The committee also suggested forming sector-specific sub-committees for life, crop, motor and health insurance to address sectoral challenges. Lead insurers PNB MetLife, Star Health and Universal Sompo will work with other companies to promote insurance awareness and design locally relevant products, especially for rural areas.
