Claims worth crores stuck as admin deadlock cripples insurance dept

Delayed promotions, staff shortage plague dept; lakhs of beneficiaries left without dues

- RAHUL R @Kollam

INSURANCE claims running into crores remain in limbo as delayed promotions and unfilled vacancies at the top officer-level at Kerala State Insurance Department have crippled the functioning of the department.

The administrative deadlock has left lakhs of beneficiaries, including Kudumbashree members, pensioners, and government employees, without their rightful dues under various insurance schemes.

The worst hit are members of the Oruma scheme, which provides insurance coverage to Kudumbashree workers. An official told TNIE that around 14 lakh Kudumbashree members are yet to receive their claims, leaving the women's self-help group — considered the backbone of Kerala's poverty eradication drive — in a precarious position.