BARGARH: The Dhanuyatra Mahotsav Committee has opted for a public liability (non-industrial) insurance cover for visitors and participants from the upcoming Dhanuyatra onwards, marking a significant step towards strengthening their safety framework during the 11-day festival. The open-air theatre is slated to be held from December 24 to January 3.
As per the insurance acknowledgement issued to the committee chairman and district collector Aditya Goyal, the policy will offer accidental death coverage of Rs 7.50 lakh per person, with a maximum liability of Rs 1.25 crore per incident within the notified festival area. The total liability during the 11-day event stands at Rs 5 crore.
The premium amount quoted for the policy is Rs 1,57,648 including GST. The insurance will cover only accidental death, and does not extend to permanent disability, partial disability, hospitalisation or medical expenses, the document clarified. Further, any accident occurring within a 24-hour span will be treated as a single event under the policy terms.
Officials said the decision aligns with the need for institutional safety mechanism, considering the geographical spread of the festival and the large crowd of people that throng Bargarh town during the event. The initiative is expected to add an additional layer of assurance to stakeholders, including visitors, performers and residents who participate in the festival.
As it is, during the course of the event, Bargarh town turns into Mathura and Ambapali into Gopapura with the Jeera river symbolising Yamuna. More than 150 artistes perform in Mathura and Gopapura during the 11-day-long festival, while over 4,000 artistes from 170 cultural troupes participate in events at the Raj Darbar and Ranga Mahal during the event known as the world’s largest open-air theatre. This apart, lakhs of people from nearby districts and neighbouring Chhattisgarh visit Bargarh to witness the cultural extravaganza.
Secretary of Dhanuyatra Mohatsav Committee Sureswar Satpathy described the insurance cover as a progressive and responsible step towards safeguarding the legacy event, which has grown in scale since its inception in 1947-48.