BERHAMPUR : Tribals, especially their women folk in remote areas of Gajapati district have started to experience benefits of group insurance schemes.

Balaji Sabar of Badamasingi village of Kainpur panchayat under Rayagada block had never expected his wife would help him financially even after her death. Balaji has received Rs.20,000 as death claim following the death of his wife, who had got enrolled in the Janashree Bima Yojana of the Life Insurance Corporation.

It is again the women Self Help Groups (SHG) in tribal villages that have taken the lead. In Rayagada block 968 members of 80 women SHGs have enrolled their names in the `Janashree Bima Yojana' scheme paying yearly premium of Rs.100 for each member since 2004.

As members of this group insurance scheme these women are also getting extra benefit of the `Sikshya Sahyog Yojana' that is part and parcel of their group insurance scheme.

Under this scheme children of policy holders reading from class ninth to +2 get a scholarship of RS.100 per month. Rambhi Guru of Gandahati village, whose son is reading in class X is benefiting from it feels it is a great help for her son to pursue studies. "I was overwhelmed when I came to know Rs.100 rupees invested by me would beget Rs.1,200 per year for my son's education," she said.

D. Jagannath Raju, president of an NGO, Society for Welfare of Weaker Section (SWWS), which had motivated the women SHGs to opt for group insurance schemes said women especially in tribal areas are the real homemakers. Once they start understanding the benefits of a scheme it easily percolates through to the general public.

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