Documentation for Wayanad landslide victims' insurance claims relaxed: FM

In response to the devastating landslides in Kerala's Wayanad, which have claimed hundreds of lives and hundreds more remained untraceable, the Narendra Modi government has directed Public Sector Insurance companies (PSICs), including Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and others, to provide all necessary support to the affected individuals. 

The aim is to expedite the processing and payment of insurance claims.

To facilitate this, insurance companies are reaching out to policyholders through various channels, such as local newspapers, social media, company websites, and SMS, to provide contact details for assistance in the affected districts of Wayanad, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Thrissur.

LIC has been instructed to rapidly disburse claim amounts to policyholders under the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. 

To ensure speedy processing, the required documentation for claims has been significantly relaxed. 

The General Insurance Council will coordinate with insurance companies to guarantee prompt processing and payment of claims and will maintain a portal for daily reporting of claim status.

In a statement, the finance ministry said that the central government is committed to supporting the victims of this calamity, ensuring they receive necessary assistance without delay or hassle.

Earlier today, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that search and rescue operations in Wayanad are nearing completion. However, he noted that 206 individuals remain unaccounted for.

Addressing the media, Vijayan highlighted the challenges in identifying the deceased, as well as body parts recovered from the Chaliyar river. 

Despite these difficulties, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response from the global community to the appeal for contributions to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).