Govt raises insurance cover for mountaineering workers

The government has significantly increased personal accident insurance coverage for people involved in the mountaineering sector, keeping in view the growing incidence of accidents in mountaineering expeditions.

According to officials of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), the cabinet meeting held last week amended the provision on individual accidents insurance and compensation as well as emergency rescue enshrined in Mountaineering Regulations 2002.

Mountaineering is one of Nepal"s popular adventure tourism products.

As per the fresh amendment, accident insurance coverage for liaison officers, who accompany mountaineering teams to the base camp of the concerned peaks, has been increased from Rs 600,000 to Rs 800,000. Similarly, accident insurance coverage for Sardar and mountain guides has been doubled to one million rupees. Insurance cover for high altitude workers has also been raised to Rs 1 million from existing Rs 400,000.

The newly amended regulation has provisioned personal accident insurance of Rs 800,000, up from existing Rs 350,000, for those working in base camp areas. Workers in lower altitude can claim personal accident insurance of Rs 500,000, up from existing Rs 250,000.

Similarly, medical insurance for liaison officers and all workers have been raised to Rs 300,000 from existing Rs 50,000.

The officials said the new provisions will be implemented from January 1, 2014. They, however, have requested the agencies concerned to voluntarily raise insurance coverage for workers on expedition teams organized before January 1.

The government has also raised emergency rescue, including airlifting of dead bodies, insurance to US$ 10,000 from existing $4,000.

source:republica,4 June 2013