Insurance must for bull runs in Vellore, says Collector

Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram in a recent meeting said the venue should be insured for Rs 10 crore per day at a premium of Rs 11,840 to enable payment of Rs 5 lakh compensation in case a spectator loses his/her life during the event. Similarly, bulls had to be insured for Rs 75,000 at a premium of Rs 3,611.

He said the central government’s Oriental Insurance Company had volunteered to provide the insurance and those planning such events should approach the company’s Vellore office with photos of the bull, the animal’s medical certificate provided by the local veterinarian as also the owner’s photo and Aadhaar card to get the insurance benefit.

Stating that bull runs should only be conducted between 10 am and 2 pm from January 14 to February 28, he also asked the organisers to pay a caution deposit of Rs 10,000 through a cheque drawn in the name of the Collector which should be submitted to the respective RDO’s office.

Other conditions include compulsory CCTV coverage of the event and ensuring that there were no open wells, railway lines, LPG godowns, overhead wires and electrical transformers in the vicinity of the venue.