MUMBAI: These men risk their lives every day to ensure our safety, but the personnel of the 2,600 fire brigades in the city don’t even have an insurance policy.
The BMC’s failure to get the firemen insured came to fore after the death of a fireman Abhay Mohite, 36. On June 5, Mohite suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries after a tree at Nariman Point fell on him.
He was admitted to the Bombay Hospital but succumbed to his wounds on Monday afternoon.
On hearing the news of his demise, Sena leader Sunil Prabhu demanded that the firemen be insured. His suggestion was instantly approved by the standing committee. “It is sad to know that families of firemen are not even secured. They must be insured immediately,” he said.
Deputy chief fire officer PD Karguppikar admitted that the laid-back attitude of his predecessors was also to be blamed for delaying the proposal. “It is only after Mohite’s death that the issue has resurfaced,” he said. He also said that all firemen can be insured by incurring an expenditure of Rs18 crore annually.
