Group Accident Insurance For Active Fishermen

Fishing is considered as one of the dangerous occupations in the country. Several fishermen lose their lives in the open sea due to weather and natural disaster. The unfortunate incident pushes the family into the trap of poverty. To safeguard the fishermen families from the vices of poverty, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying implemented a Group Accident Insurance Scheme for the Active Fishermen. The family of the injured or dead fishermen would receive financial assistance under the scheme. FISHCOPFED, along with the General Insurance Corporation of India shall act as the implementing agency of the scheme.

Objectives of the Scheme

The scheme was implemented to achieve the following objectives,

To offer financial support to the fish farmers who are actively engaged in fishing
To safeguard family members of the fishermen against the vices of poverty even after the demise.

Premium Allotted under the Scheme

Fishermen who are insured and paid the annual premium of Rs 15 per head are entitled to obtain the benefit of,

Rs.50,000 for the period of twelve months under the scheme against the accidental death or constant total disability.
A sum of Rs.25,000 is disbursed for the permanent partial disability.

The grant amount is shared between the Central and State Government equally, and 100% of the premium amount is disbursed by the Central Government in case of Union Territories.

Eligible Beneficiaries under the Scheme

The beneficiaries who can obtain a claim under the scheme are as follows,

The individual should be a fish farmer, fisherman or fisherwoman by caste or occupation.
They should be between the age group of 18-60 years.
The individual should hold a license from a certified authority for fishing.
A person who received the certification from the certified authority to receive insurance amount under the scheme.
A registered fisherman in a registered cooperative society or any other authorised organisation of the fisheries.
A person who is not registered with the cooperative society but is insured under the scheme.

Norms under the Scheme

The insurance premium would be disbursed by the agency to the beneficiaries only on the receipt of full payment of the premium from the FISHCOPFED before the date of the accident and the conditions under which the eligible beneficiaries obtain the grant-in-aid are as follows:

The insured fishermen shall be entitled to an amount payable as per the conditions of Insurance Policy to their nominees, in case the injury leads to death with extending for more than a period of six months.
The insured fishermen shall be entitled to a capital sum of the insured amount payable as per the conditions of Insurance Policy to their nominees, in case the injury had extended for a period of six months and lead to the following,
The obvious reason for the total and irreparable loss of sight of both eyes (or)
The genuine loss by physical separation of two entire hands or two feet (or)
Loss of one complete hand and one complete foot or of such damage of sight of one eye
The insured fishermen shall be entitled to fifty per cent of the capital sum insured. The insured amount payable will be provided as per the conditions of Insurance Policy to their nominees, in case the injury had extended for a period of six months and lead to the following,
The solitary and obvious reason for the total and irreparable loss of sight of one eye
The overall and irreparable loss of a hand or foot

The insured fishermen shall be entitled to any description whatsoever the capital sum insured. The insured amount payable shall be followed as per the conditions of Insurance Policy to their nominees, in case the injury had extended for a period of six months and lead to the following, The solitary and obvious reason for permanently, entirely and completely halting the injured from engaging from being occupied with considering any employment or occupation. Fishermen who Cannot Claim The following fishermen are not eligible to claim insurance under the scheme in case of their:

Non-accidental situation,
Natural death or disability happened due to suicide
A person with the trace of alcohol in their body at the time of the accident
Paralysis occurred because of high blood pressure

Implementation Procedure

The sponsoring agency chooses the eligible fishermen for the grant under the scheme. The agency forwards the details along with the insurance premium details to the FISHCOPFED. The details are forwarded in the form of bank drafts or cross cheque drawn in favour of National Federation Fishermen’s Corporation Ltd which is payable at New Delhi.
The insurance amount is made available to the beneficiaries by the insurance company from the receipt of the date of the premium from the FISHCOPFED.
The agency must guarantee that the fisherman should specify their nominee for the compensation under the scheme.

Documents Required

The following

are the documents required to be submitted by the beneficiaries at the time of submission of application are as follows,

In the case of death

FIR copy of the deceased fisherman
Insurance claim statement as per the required format
The post-mortem report of the fisherman stating the causes of the death
In case of unavailability of the post-mortem report, a medical certificate should be produced stating the cause of the death of the fisherman.
Authorisation Certificate from the registered authority.

When the fishermen go missing for a very long time

Claim settlement form as suggested by the FISHCOPFED.
Indemnity Bond from the nominee and the sponsoring agency.
A copy of the police report of the missing fisherman.
Authorisation Certification from the authority

In case of disability of the fishermen

Insurance claim statement as per the required format

A medical certificate declaring the person’s disability and its reason.
A copy of the police report of the accident.
A copy of the police report of the accident.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Group Accident Insurance for Active Fishermen in India.

The Group Accident Insurance Scheme for Active Fishermen is a government-sponsored insurance scheme that provides financial assistance to fishermen and their families in case of accidental death, permanent total disability, or permanent partial disability sustained while fishing. The scheme aims to safeguard fishermen's families from poverty in unfortunate circumstances.

To be eligible for the insurance scheme, an individual must be a fisherman or fisherwoman by caste or occupation, between the ages of 18 and 60. They must hold a valid fishing license from a certified authority and be either registered with a cooperative society or insured under the scheme.

The annual premium for the insurance coverage is Rs. 15 per fisherman. This premium amount is shared equally between the Central and State governments, with the Central government bearing the entire cost for Union Territories.

If a fisherman meets with an accidental death or permanent total disability, their nominee is entitled to receive Rs. 50,000. In case of permanent partial disability, the fisherman or their nominee will receive Rs. 25,000.

The sponsoring agency, such as a cooperative society or authorized organization, submits the necessary documents and insurance premium details to FISHCOPFED (National Federation Fishermen's Corporation Ltd). FISHCOPFED then forwards the information to the General Insurance Corporation of India, which processes and disburses the insurance amount to the beneficiaries.

The documents required for claiming insurance benefits include a copy of the FIR, insurance claim statement, post-mortem report or medical certificate (in case of death), authorization certificate from the registered authority, indemnity bond (in case of missing fishermen), and a copy of the police report for accidents or missing persons.

Yes, fishermen cannot claim insurance benefits in cases of non-accidental situations, natural death or disability due to suicide, or if the accident occurred while under the influence of alcohol.

FISHCOPFED, along with the General Insurance Corporation of India, acts as the implementing agency for the Group Accident Insurance Scheme for Active Fishermen. FISHCOPFED receives the premium and beneficiary details from sponsoring agencies and forwards them to the insurance company for claim processing.

Yes, even fishermen who are not registered with a cooperative society can be insured under the scheme, provided they meet the eligibility criteria and are sponsored by an authorized organization.

The article does not mention a specific timeline for claim processing. However, it states that the insurance amount is made available to the beneficiaries by the insurance company upon receiving the premium and beneficiary details from FISHCOPFED.