Bhubaneswar: Around 4,000 personnel of the Odisha Special Striking Force (OSSF), deployed primarily in anti-Naxal operations across difficult and remote areas of the state, will now be covered by an accident insurance package of up to Rs 50 lakh, sources said.
The four OSSF battalions, comprising personnel recruited mainly from former Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, will also be entitled to a range of additional benefits under the Corporate Salary Package extended by the State Bank of India (SBI).
The benefits include air ambulance reimbursement of up to Rs 10 lakh, child higher education cover of up to Rs 10 lakh and plastic surgery expenses of up to Rs 10 lakh.
Family members of OSSF personnel will also be eligible for benefits under SBI’s Rishtey Account, besides personal loan facilities. An optional health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh will also be available on payment of an annual premium of Rs 1,999.
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The Odisha Police on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SBI for extending the Corporate Salary Package to OSSF personnel at a function held.
Inspector General of Police (Operations) Deepak Kumar signed the MoU on behalf of the Odisha Police, while SBI Deputy General Manager Ashish Kumar Mishra signed it on behalf of the bank.
Director General of Police, Anti-Naxal Operations, Sanjeeb Panda, was present at the ceremony.
Commandant, Special Operations Group (SOG), Lochan Pasayat, Commandant-in-charge of OSSF Ramachandra Pradhan, senior OSSF officers and SBI officials also attended the function.
Panda thanked SBI for extending the Corporate Salary Package to OSSF personnel and said the insurance and other benefits would provide additional security and motivation to personnel performing duties in far-flung areas of the state under difficult conditions.
He said the benefits would be in addition to the welfare and other benefits already being provided by the state government.