BHUBANESWAR: Even though 16 years have passed since ‘Bima Lokpal’ or Insurance Ombudsman was established in Odisha, a majority of the rural population in the State is still unaware of the institution and its services.
Currently, of the total cases disposed of by the Insurance Ombudsman, a meagre 10 per cent are from villages and blocks, Insurance Ombudsman Bijaya Narayan Mishra told mediapersons here on Friday.
This year from April to October, the Insurance Ombudsman has taken up 495 cases of which 462 were heard and disposed of. A total compensation of `74 lakh was awarded in these cases to policy holders of general and life insurance.
There are 54 insurance companies operating in India including 25 life insurance and 29 general insurance companies. The authorities said till October this year, 83 disputes have come up in the general insurance sector while the life insurance segment saw 233 cases.
The rural customers are unaware of the scope of Redressal of Public Grievances (RPG) Rules and functioning of the Insurance Ombudsman. ‘’Aggressive publicity is essential to educate rural customers with the media playing a proactive role to sensitise them to seek redressal of their insurance grievances in a speedy, inexpensive and impartial manner,’’ Mishra said.
The Insurance Ombudsman is authorised to discharge twin functions as a counsellor-cum-mediator between insured person and the insurance company and as an independent adjudicator by deciding complaints as prescribed by the Rules of RPG, 1998, Mishra added.
The Odisha branch of the Insurance Ombudsman heard 1,050 complaints during 2015-16. Out of these cases, hearing was completed in 986 cases and a compensation of `3.24 crore was awarded.