Question : Optional Travel Insurance Scheme

(a) whether with the increase in the incidents of railway mishaps, the Government has started an Optional Travel Insurance Scheme (OTIS) on pilot basis;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the total quantum of insurance premium collected from passengers since its inception;
(c) the amount of compensation paid to rail travellers who have opted for OTIS and have met with rail accidents during each of the last two years;
(d) whether the insurance premium collected from passengers has been enhanced recently;
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(f) the companies which have been shortlisted by IRCTC to provide insurance facility to passengers;
(g) whether the Government has created awareness among rail passengers about the advantage of opting OTIS; and
(h) if so, the details thereof and the response thereon?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
( SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL )

(a) to (h): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (h) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3729 BY SHRI A.K.P CHINRAJ, SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL, SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE, SHRI VINAYAK RAUT AND DR. HEENA GAVIT TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 11.12.2019 REGARDING OPTIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE SCHEME

(a) and (b): Yes, Sir. An Optional Travel Insurance Scheme with a cover of upto ` 10 lakh was launched w.e.f 01.09.2016 for the Confirmed/RAC railway passengers who book online e-ticket through official website of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) which is a wholly owned undertaking of Ministry of Railways.
W.e.f 01.10.2018, the premium for the scheme is ` 0.49/- (inclusive of all taxes) per passenger per trip. Under the scheme, in case of death/injury of reserved passengers due to train accident/untoward incidents as defined under Section 123 read with Sections 124 and 124A of the Railways Act, 1989, the sum assured is paid to the victim/family or legal heir of the victim as the case may be.
The insurance coverage is valid from the actual departure of train from the originating station to actual arrival of train at the destination station including ‘process of entraining’ and ‘process of detraining’ the train.
The Sum assured given to the victim/family or legal heir of the victim is as follows:-
(i) In case of Death - ` 10 lakh,
(ii) Permanent Total Disability - ` 10 Lakh,
(iii) Permanent Partial Disability upto - ` 7.5 Lakh,
(iv) Hospitalization Expenses for Injury – ` 2 Lakh,
(v) Transportation of mortal remains – ` 10 Thousand.

The total quantum of insurance premium collected from travellers since inception is ` 19.47 Crore.

(c): The amount of compensation paid by insurance companies to the victims since Nov 2017 to Nov 2019 is as follows:-
Company Compensation paid (in Crores of `)
Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd. 2.35
ICICI Lombard (agreement over on Sept 2018) 1.34
Royal Sundaram (agreement over on Sept 2018) 1.50
Bharti Axa General Insurance (agreement started from Oct 2018) 0.25
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance (agreement started from Oct 2018) 0.70
Total 6.14

(d) and (e): No, Sir.
From 01.09.2016 to 09.12.2016, a premium of ` 0.92 per trip was collected from the passengers.

As per Government’s decision to promote digital and cashless economy, with effect from 10.12.2016 to 31.08.2018, the insurance was made free to all passengers booking e-tickets online and the premium was paid by IRCTC to the insurance companies.

From 01.09.2018, the insurance was again made optional to the passengers booking e-tickets online and a reduced premium of ` 0.49 per trip is being collected from passengers.

(f) : Presently, IRCTC is providing this insurance facility through 3 Insurance Companies, namely :-
(i) M/s Bharti Axa General Insurance Co. Ltd.,
(ii) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd., and
(iii) Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd..


(g) and (h) : Awareness has been made through IRCTC’s Ticket Booking website i.e. www.irctc.co.in under “IMPORTANT INFORMATION” section which contains all relevant details about optional travel insurance for e-ticket passenger.
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