Maharashtra government expands insurance coverage for Dahi Handi participants to 1.5 Lakh

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed the state’s sports department to extend insurance coverage to 1.5 lakh govindas (participants) taking part in Dahi Handi celebrations this year, with Janmashtami scheduled for August 16.

Until now, the Maharashtra government has been insuring around 75,000 govindas annually. The decision to expand coverage followed a meeting between the Dahi Handi Samanvay Samiti and Fadnavis, accompanied by culture minister Ashish Shelar. The delegation urged the CM to double the number of insured participants for 2024. Responding to the request, Fadnavis instructed the department to take the necessary steps.

Dinesh Jadav, chief regional manager at Oriental Insurance—the company responsible for the coverage—confirmed that over one lakh govindas from 1,200 mandals across Maharashtra had already been insured this year.

“A major contributor to this figure was the Maharashtra Rajya Dahi Handi Govinda Association through whom the state govt insured more than 75,000 govindas in Maharashtra,” he noted.

The state had previously classified Dahi Handi as an adventure sport, resulting in increased participation. However, the Dahi Handi Samanvay Samiti has also expressed concerns over the higher risk of injury for govindas due to the growing competitiveness of the event.

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[With TOI inputs]

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