Jallikattu organisers to provide Rs 20 lakh bank guarantee after TN eases insurance rule

CHENNAI: Following stiff opposition from jallikattu organisers to the mandatory provision of offering insurance coverage for spectators and bull tamers, fixed at Rs 5 lakh per person and capped at Rs 1 crore per event, the government has decided to instead accept a bank guarantee of Rs 20 lakh instead of the insurance coverage.

Official sources from the animal husbandry department told TNIE that the insurance requirement was introduced following deaths of spectators and bull tamers in Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Dharmapuri, and Tiruchy districts last year. A maximum of four persons will get the insurance coverage per event.

Event organisers, however, found it difficult to comply with the rule as insurance companies were reluctant to offer coverage especially for bull tamers who are classified as high-risk participants. After multiple appeals, the government authorised district collectors to accept Rs 20 lakh bank guarantee from organisers.