United India Insurance coins offerings for temples
By Our Corporate Bureau | 22 Jan 2005
Temples were earlier being insured through a customised version of the 'public liability policy'. But now United India Insurance has become the first to introduce an exclusive product called the 'temple package insurance scheme', offering an all-comprehensive temple insurance that covers fire and allied perils, including covering temple structures and their contents from terrorist attacks.
The scope of the scheme has also been extended to burglary or theft of valuables including gold and silver articles and gems. Other insurance companies are expected to follow suit.
K Sanath Kumar, regional manager, United India Insurance Company Ltd, explains the salient features of the package, "The scheme envisages a coverage of money insurance, personal accidents, mediclaim and fidelity guarantee insurance for the employees of the temple. It also covers machinery and electronic equipment insurance, elephant or livestock insurance for animals owned by the temple, including coverage against third party damages caused by such animals. Further, even devotees of the temple are also protected by a public liability insurance.''
The idea of an insurance coverage for temples became popular after the terrorist attack on the Swami Narayan temple in Gujarat. United India itself has insured some of the most venerated temples in the country — Tirupathi Devasthanam in Andhra Pradesh, Madurai Meenakshi temple and Palani Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple in Tamil Nadu, Sree Vaishnodevi temple in Jammu and Kashmir and Guruvayoor Sreekrishna temple in Kerala, among others.
Insurance companies have already begun talks with 'devaswom board' authorities for insuring more temples. "Negotiations are on with the Travancore Devaswom Board to insure Sabarimala temple. A large number of temples in Kerala are interested in the specific scheme,'' Sanath Kumar adds.
United India's temple festival insurance is a combination of public liability and personal accident insurances under which liability per person is limited to Rs 2.5 lakh. The personal accident death policy only covers Rs 1 lakh per person. In all 220 persons engaged in various activities in connection with the particular insured festival will have the benefit.
"The personal accident cover is for temple employees, percussionists, priests, mahouts, electricians, persons engaged in fire works and pop gun, cooks and workers attached to kitchen,'' says S S Nathan, branch manager of United India Insurance.
