New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Life Insurance Company and the New India Assurance Company to present their officers before the court on the next hearing to decide on the premium rates for the advocates’ insurance schemes.
Justice Pratibha M Singh, while hearing the matter through video conferencing, noted:
“Considering the fact that the quotation has increased by 2.5 times, a meeting shall be held with a senior official of the LIC who is capable of taking decisions, to be nominated by the Vipin Anand, Managing Director of LIC.”
The judge said the official should be empowered to negotiate the terms and conditions of the group insurance policy. The meeting will be on September 4, at 3 pm. Others at the meeting will be members of the Technical Evaluation Committee, constituted by the GNCTD, plus two representatives of the Bar Council of Delhi.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Bar Council of Delhi with regards to the completion of and operation of CM Advocates Welfare Scheme.
The bench observed that the earlier quotations and premiums, as well as the quotations and premiums that have been demanded now. It is clear that the same is almost double what was demanded earlier.
The rates quoted by the New India Assurance Company (NIAC) in November-December, 2019 for providing group media-claim insurance was of the total value of Rs 34,09,77,300. However, the revised rates quoted by the NIAC are of Rs 66,71,74,673.
Similarly, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) had initially quoted a total of Rs 10,07,70,894. However, LIC has in its financial bid given the basic rate (inclusive of GST) for 28,774 advocates as Rs 20,40,59,453 i.e., at an average per policy premium rate of Rs.7091.7.
The bench was of the opinion that this sudden increase in the premium within a matter of eight months is very steep. The Chief Minister’s Advocates Welfare Scheme would be completely defeated at this rate.
Read Also: Letter to Central Tribunal by unemployed man gets good response
The bench has further directed Atul Sahai, the Chairman/Managing Director of New India Assurance Company Ltd to appoint a senior official to hold a meeting with the TEC and representatives of the Bar Council to arrive at a solution in respect of the premium payable. The said will be held on September 10 at 3 pm by video conferencing. Minutes of this meeting shall also be drawn by the Secretary (Law) and placed before this Court.
Read the order here;
86339_2020– India Legal Bureau