Question : Coconut Palm Workers

(a)whether it has come to the notice of the Government that a huge number of coconut palm climbers are involved in fall accidents in coconut growing States;
(b)whether the Government has received petition/ report pointing out the deaths of coconut palm climbers and if so, the details thereof;
(c)the number of palm climbing labourers died while working in each of such States during the last ten years along with the compensation given to the legal heirs;
(d)whether any State Government has come up with a scheme to prevent fall of labourers from trees and if so, the details thereof; and
(e)whether the former Chairman of the Coconut Development Board issued an order allowing compensation to the victims of accidents of coconut labourers and if so, the details of the same and whether timely enhancement of the amount of compensation is being made?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (e): Kera Suraksha Insurance Scheme (KSIS) is an accident Insurance Scheme implemented by Coconut Development Board under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to insure coconut tree climbers against all accidents and related treatment. As per the claim received from coconut palm climbers insured under the scheme from different coconut growing states, 174 Palm climbers met with accidents out of 76,380 climbers insured, since the inception of scheme in 2011-12 upto 2020-21.
Contd..2/-

:: 2 ::

So far three deaths were reported to Coconut Development Board for settlement of claim under Kera Suraksha Insurance Scheme (KSIS), two from Kerala and one from Andhra Pradesh. One claim already settled and the remaining two are under process.

Coconut Development Board started implementation of this Insurance Scheme for coconut tree climbers in the year 2011-12. This is an accident policy covering all types of accidents with an insurance cover against death, reimbursement towards hospitalisation and other related components under the policy in connection with the accident.

At the time of introduction, the sum insured was Rs.1 lakhs against death and Rs.10,000/- towards hospitalisation expense. Benefits under all the components of the scheme were modified time to time based on feedback from beneficiaries. The insurance cover w.e.f. 01.11.2020 is Rs. 5.00 lakh with annual premium of Rs. 398.65 and which will be shared between Board and climbers in the ratio 75:25 under the scheme.

*******