Presidential Secretariat halts ‘Suraksha’ award to Allianz
View(s):The ‘Suraksha’ insurance scheme to provide benefits for government and private school students has come to a halt with a deadlock between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Presidential Secretariat, over the selection of the Insurance company.
As a result, at least 3,500 claims by students in December, January and February have been put on hold.
The Allianz Co. was initially awarded the contract, after they made the best offer, but Sri Lanka Insurance appealed to the Presidential Secretariat Appeal Board. The Appeal Board decided that the Allianz Co. should be awarded the contract, but eventually, the Presidential Secretariat directed the MoE Secretary to halt the issue of the contract.
Thereafter, no directive has been issued about the contract, thereby putting the entire project on hold. Students who relied on the insurance scheme and entered hospitals or proceeded with medical treatment, have been adversely affected due to this impasse.
- Damith Wickremasekara