Chennai | The Tamil Nadu Prison Department is in the process of enrolling 3,681 convicts in state jails under the Central government-promoted insurance schemes to provide them cover for death, accident and disability. The over 3,000 convicts spread across nine Central prisons and five special prisons for women are being brought under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
“So far, about 1,283 prisoners have been covered under the two insurance plans,” a senior state prison official said.
As regards other prisoners “work like collecting details ..including their ‘Aadhar‘ data is on,” the official told PTI.
Of the 3,681 convicts a significant chunk of them – around 2,300 prisoners – are serving life sentences, he said.
The Centre-backed insurance schemes were introduced for the benefit of prison staffers and subsequently, it was decided to extend it to convicts as well.
The premium for insurance plans will be debited from wage account of convicts, he said, adding the work to enrol prisoners in insurance schemes started a few months back.
The prisoners are paid according to their work and a variety of initiatives like shoemaking are being done in prisons.
“The prisoners have solace that their family members will be benefited in the unlikely event of their death and in case of accident or disability they would get some money that would be of help,” the official said.
Prisoners have died of diseases apart from other reasons like suicides in jails.
A term plan, PMJJBY, offers life insurance cover for death due to any cause. To be renewed every year, the premium payable is Rs 330 per annum per subscriber and Rs 2 lakh will be paid in the event of an insured person’s death.
The PMSBY offers protection against death or disability due to an accident and the premium payable is Rs 12 per annum according to the ‘Jan Dhan se Jan Suraksha’ government website.
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