Guest guest Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 http://www.dailyindia.com/show/62914.php/Mahouts_in_Kerala_to_be_insured Mahouts in Kerala to be insured By Indo Asian News Service Kochi, Sep 24 (IANS) Nearly 500 mahouts in Kerala will be provided with free insurance cover, thanks to the efforts of a charitable organisation comprising pachyderm lovers. 'We will give free insurance cover for 500 mahouts on Nov 18 - the first day of the Tripunithura Temple festival. More than 20 elephants are expected to take part in the festival,' said E. Nandakumar, secretary of Elephant Care. The society, formed in 2005, consists of 20 members from different walks of life. 'We formed it just for the sheer love for elephants,' Nandakumar, a general manager with Cochin Refineries Ltd., told IANS. Elephant Care has tied up with the Oriental Insurance Company for the insurance cover of Rs.100,000, which includes a medical treatment cover of Rs.20,000 and a life cover of Rs.80,000 for the mahouts. 'We found that it is the mahouts who spend the most time with the elephants and we decided to help them. But at the time of the yearly insurance renewal, we will extend the cover only if the mahout has done his job properly. Mahouts who indulge in excessive drinking and those who ill-treat elephants will not get a renewal,' added Nandakumar. The society hopes that in due course they will be able to extend the insurance cover to all mahouts in the state. The charitable organisation has earlier conducted a free medical camp and training programme for both mahouts and elephant owners. There are around 700 captive elephants and nearly 1,400 mahouts in Kerala. Copyright Indo-Asian News Service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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