30,000 in trading hub get corona cover in West Bengal

KOLKATA: A hand-cart puller in Burrabazaar, Jairam Sahani, got a ‘Covid Kavach’ policy last week from his employer. Same was the case for Ajit Kurmi, a delivery boy for a motor parts trader. “This is a great relief for me. We are working hard every day so that there is no dearth of essentials in the city. Now that we have this cover, we can at least treat ourselves if we fall sick,” Sahani said.
For Kurmi, Sahani, and 30,000 others in the trading hub, it’s their first health policy.The traders especially made these policies in the last one week so they can help in treatment. From accountants in traditional ‘gaddi’ to delivery boys and manual van pullers, all got the policy.

Confederation of West Bengal Trade Association (CWBTA), the apex body for 65 trade associations in the state, had appealed to its affiliate bodies to arrange for corona covers for their employees, including wage earners involved in daily work. The ticket size of the cover is Rs 1 to Rs 2 lakh on an average. But in some cases, it went up to Rs 5 lakh, the highest in Corona Kavach.
CWBTA president Sushil Poddar told TOI that it had earlier written to all its 65 affiliates association to urge their members to provide Corona Kavach policy. “All of them have responded. Most of the Burrabazaar is now covered. ,” he said.
Incidentally, the policy was introduced by almost all general insurance companies on July 10 following directive of IRDA. The cover starts from Rs 50,000 and offers a maximum cover of Rs 5 lakh. The age limit is 65.