Bhayandar: In a shocking revelation, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) which boasts of a 1,369 crore annual budget has failed to renew the medical insurance policy of its employees whose staff strength is above 1,500. Thus exposing the apathy of officials and the ruling governance towards the well-being of its own staffers.
The policies have remained in a lapse mode for more than sixteen months now, as the civic administration has failed to renew the cashless medi-claim system worth Rs 2 lakh each, since April 20, 2017.
The worst affected are the 700-odd class IV workers-mostly from the sanitation department who are prone to illness owing to the hazardous nature of their job.
As a stop gap arrangement, employees are supposed to foot medical expenses from their own pocket which is later reimbursed by the civic body, albeit after an approval from the district civil surgeon which according to MBMC personnel was a herculean task.
“It is really unfortunate that the civic administration does not care for it own foot soldiers. To put a complete end to this recurring problem, a bank has mooted a proposal extending free health insurance schemes in exchange of opening salary accounts of municipal employees. This will not only ensure uninterrupted insurance benefits, but also ease the burden on the treasury. The administration should take a decision soon,” said Amit Bhosale who heads Zunj General Worker’s Union in the MBMC.
According to municipal officials, the undue delay in renewals was a result of high rates quoted by aspiring bidders.