Sampurna Bima Gram Panchayat "

 What looks to be difficult to attain, the IRDAI’s recently set motto: ‘Insurance for All; by 2047, this village is almost fully Insured !!! 

On March 5, 2025, Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat CEO, Latha Kumari, honoured Marasur panchayat with the title of ‘Sampurna Bima Gram Panchayat’  

Marasur, a village near Bengaluru’s famed Electronics City, has a population of 15,531.  A village near Bengaluru has become the first gram panchayat in Karnataka to achieve full insurance coverage for its eligible residents under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for health insurance and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life insurance.  

Marasur, a village near Bengaluru’s famed Electronics City, has a population of 15,531. 

The Marasur gram panchayat comprises eight villages — Marasur, Naganayakanahalli, Madiwala, Bandapura, Agrahara, Shettihalli, Adesonatti, and Haleooru. Of the total population, 9,319 residents aged 18 to 70 were eligible for life insurance. 

 While rolling out a local scheme that provides financial aid of Rs 10,000 to deceased families for respectful funerals, the Marasur gram panchayat realised a major gap — many residents lacked life and health insurance. To create awareness and facilitate enrolment, the panchayat collaborated with the students of Christ University and conducted a survey from August 10, 2024, to March 5, 2025.

 Using a questionnaire-based survey, they found that 80% of the population had enrolled in insurance schemes, while 1,877 remained uninsured.  

In the wake of this, the panchayat organised multiple camps and awareness drives to encourage them to enrol in either of the two schemes: PMSBY, which requires a payment of Rs 20, and PMJJBY, which costs Rs 330, every March. 

The camps proved to be successful, and as a result, on March 5, Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat CEO Latha Kumari honoured Marasur. panchayat with the title of ‘Sampurna Bima Gram Panchayat’.  “Insurance is helping us secure our future," said Sudha, a life insurance beneficiary, emphasising the imperative role of insurance for financial security. 

“While conducting the survey, the students asked us whether we had PMSBY and PMJJBY. We had never heard of these schemes before, so they asked if Rs 330 and Rs 20 were deducted every March and made a note of those who said no. This is how they surveyed the entire Marasur. We were unaware of the process of enrolling at the bank, but the panchayat and students took the initiative to schedule a date and arrange a common meeting place for us and the bank officials to complete the process."  Appreciating the dedication of the panchayat and students, she added, “Whether it was the gram panchayat officers or the students, they left no stone unturned to ensure that everybody was insured. This initiative stands as a testament to good governance and rural development."  Speaking to News 18, Marasur PDO Murali D said, “After discovering that most residents were not covered under any insurance scheme, we realised that when the breadwinner of the family passed away, the entire family faced extreme financial struggles, while the insurance coverage ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh would have avoided the same. We believed their lives would be much better with coverage. Since then, we made it our goal to achieve 100% insurance coverage for everyone in the village, ensuring that they are secured and making the best use of available schemes."  Highlighting how the initiative began, he added that they distributed pamphlets door-to-door to create awareness. Since many villagers were reluctant to visit the bank and enrol, the panchayat facilitated the process by bringing bank officials to the village, ensuring that the residents could complete their enrolment seamlessly.  The major reason for the lack of insurance coverage was residents’ unawareness and poor communication about such schemes and their benefits. The concerning part was that many were unaware that insurance schemes like PMSBY and PMJJBY even existed.  Suma, a health insurance beneficiary, said, “It was only after the Panchayat’s campaigns that we became aware of these schemes, and that’s when we enrolled."  Courtesy :M Arunachalam