Atul Sahai, former CMD, New India Assurance has been selected for Lucknow along with Manoj K Parida, a retired IAS officer for Bhubaneswar, Bimbadhar Pradhan, ( retired IAS for Noida), C Vikash Rao (Life Insurance Corporation for Ahemedabad),Sumeet Jarath(Delhi), Kiran Sahdev(Kolkatta), Sushmita Mukheeji, (a former director, NIA for Patna), Sunil Jain (Pune) have been selected by the selection panel constituted by the ministry of finance

New Delhi:

Eight new Insurance Ombudsmen have been selected by a selection panel of Ministry of Finance(MoF) for as many centres across the country.

Atul Sahai, former CMD, New India Assurance(NIA) has been selected for Lucknow along with Manoj K Parida, a retired IAS officer for Bhubaneswar, Bimbadhar Pradhan (retired IAS officer for Noida), Sumeet Jerath, (retired IAS for Delhi), C Vikash Rao(Life Insurance Corporation(LIC) for Ahmedabad), Kiran Sahdev (LIC, Kolkata), Sushmita Mukheeji (a former director, NIA for Patna), Sunil Jain (retired principal commissioner, Customs,Pune) have been selected by the selection panel.

There were 40 applicants who were interviewed over three days last week and out of eight vacancies, four have gone to civil servants, two each for LIC officials and NIA officials.

After due diligence by the government authorities, MoF will issue orders of appointment to the selected candidates.

The interview panel had Debasish Panda, chairman, IRDAI, Girija Kumar, former CMD, Oriental Insurance Company, Usha Sangwan, former MD, LIC, Sourav Mishra, joint secretary, Ministry of Finance, Bijon Mishra, a consumer activist.

Girija Kumar, Sangwan and Sujoy Banerjee are part of the newly constituted Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB), the new head hunting body formed by the government, for selection o new general managers & directors and CMDs of  PSU insurance companies along with chairperson and managing directors of LIC.  

The selection committee has also chosen a few officials who can join in case some of the selected candidates drop out.

Sunita Sharma, former MD of LIC, Tajinder Mukherjee, former CMD of National Insurance Company, P Venugupal, executive director, LIC, Neera Saxena, former general manger and director of NIC, Sidhartha Pradhan, a former general manger and director of NIC are there in the reserved category.

There are at present 17 Insurance Ombudsmen posts all over the country. The rule stipulates professionals with insurance , civil service, administrative and judicial backgrounds can be appointed as Ombudsmen with a salary of Rs 2.25 lakh including the pension if any drawn by the government officials.

Office of Insurance Ombudsman is an alternate grievance redressal platform which has been set up by the government with an aim to resolve grievances of aggrieved policyholders against insurance companies and its intermediaries or insurance brokers in a speedy and cost-effective manner.

The amount of compensation sought in Insurance Ombudsman should not exceed Rs 30 lakhs.