Hyderabad civic body has no funds for salaries, but corporators to get health insurance

HYDERABAD: At a time when the cash-strapped Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is reeling under severe financial crisis and finding it difficult to pay salaries to its employees, the civic body has decided to provide medical insurance to all the recently elected 150 corporators, five co-option members and their family members.

The civic body will pay the premium, which will cost between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore per annum. The facility will have risk coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for each corporator and family member, duly covering spouse, two dependent children and any two dependents — either parents or in-laws — under the floating insurance coverage policy. The premium will be paid by GHMC as per guidelines of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). 

A few corporators have justified the decision, claiming they risk their health on a daily basis as they interact with the public to address the latter’s grievances, in the midst of the pandemic. The benefit will be available to every member of a corporator’s family on a floater basis, i.e., the reimbursement of Rs 5 lakh can be availed either by one individual or collectively by all family members.  

The GHMC wants to extend the benefits to all corporators on the lines of privileges available to MPs and MLAs. The policies, after one year, can be extended for another year if the services provided by the insurance broking firms are deemed satisfactory. The corporators are also reportedly exerting pressure on the GHMC to provide them with iPhones, laptops, printers and an increase in monthly honorariums.