Defence Ministry extends insurance cover to casual workers of Border Roads Organisation

The insurance cover, the ministry says, is likely to serve as a social security and welfare measure for the labour force employed in infrastructure project works in harsh terrain and border areas.

New Delhi: For the benefit of casual labourers employed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for constructing roads and tunnels in harsh terrain and border areas, the Defence Ministry has sanctioned a group insurance scheme. In case of the death of a worker on the job, their family will receive Rs 10 lakh as the insurance payout.

This is the second set of welfare measures for such workers announced by the ministry in the last five months. The insurance cover, the ministry says, is likely to serve as a social security and welfare measure for the labour force employed in infrastructure project works.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the scheme that will provide an insured sum of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased labourer’s family or next of kin in case of a fatal mishap on the job.

Such labourers are engaged by Border Roads Organisation and General Reserve Engineer Force for the ongoing project works in remote and far-flung areas.

Providing support to the Indian Armed Forces, BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. BRO is instrumental in significantly upgrading and building new India-China Border Roads.

The welfare measure follows the ministry’s September decision to extend the provisions of ‘preservation and transportation of the mortal remains’ – available to BRO and GREF personnel - to casual labourers too.

The minister took the decision after learning that many a times, such labourers die a lonely death as their families could not afford the preservation and transportation costs. He also approved an increase in funeral expenditure for them to Rs 10,000 from Rs 1,000.

This will be borne by the government in the event of a death of any CPL while on government bonafide duty at BRO projects, whose last rites are being performed at the worksite.