The Telangana government has approved a comprehensive accident insurance plan for registered fishermen, providing financial protection in cases of tragedy and reinforcing state efforts to extend social security to risky livelihoods.
The Telangana government has approved accident insurance cover for registered fishermen for the current financial year, in a move officials say is intended to give families a financial safety net when tragedy strikes. Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Vakiti Srihari said on Monday that the Group Accident Insurance Scheme will apply to 4,21,767 registered fishermen aged 18 to 70, with protection in place for the policy period that began on June 1.
Srihari said the scheme is designed to support households after accidental death or permanent disability and reflects what he described as the state’s focus on welfare and livelihood security for the fishing community. The insurance premium works out at Rs 79.96 per beneficiary, with the Centre and state sharing the cost in a 60:40 ratio. Telangana’s share comes to Rs 21,34,79,673.
Under the plan, the family of a fisherman who dies in an accident will receive Rs 5 lakh. The same amount is payable in the event of permanent total disability, while permanent partial disability is covered up to Rs 2.5 lakh. Medical assistance of up to Rs 25,000 is also available for accidental hospitalisation.
The fisheries department said it has taken steps to ensure that every registered fisherman is covered during the policy period. The scheme also fits into the wider national structure of the Group Accident Insurance Scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, which covers fish workers and others directly involved in fisheries-related work. Government-backed guidance on the programme says eligible beneficiaries in the 18-to-70 age group can receive the same Rs 5 lakh, Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 25,000 benefits. At the national level, however, the scheme has drawn criticism in some states over slow claims processing, with The New Indian Express reporting in 2023 that none of 11 claims in Gujarat had been settled over three years.
Telangana has previously signalled broader support for workers in risky informal jobs. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy last year announced a separate accident insurance plan for gig workers, including cab and auto drivers and food delivery staff, alongside proposed health cover. That puts the fishermen’s scheme within a wider pattern of state-backed attempts to extend social protection to groups that often work without conventional employer benefits.
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