Chennai, Dec 14 (IANS): Two government owned general insurance companies -- National Insurance Company Ltd and Oriental Insurance Company Ltd -- have not recruited a single person for the last four/five years, Parliament was told.

The Delhi headquartered Oriental Insurance has not hired any fresh employee for the past five years, in the case of the Kolkata headquartered National Insurance it is four years since the company saw fresh blood.

Replying to a question raised by Rajya Sabha Member A.A. Rahim, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad said no fresh recruitments were made in Oriental Insurance from 2017-18 to 2021-22 and United India from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

The Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL) had recruited one person in 2021-22 and 45 persons in 2017-18 and zero hiring during the intervening years.

The hiring by the government insurers since FY18 are: Life Insurance Corporation of India (FY19- 4,177 persons, FY 20-6,153 and FY20 -736), New India Assurance (FY18-297, FY19-684, FY20-304, FY22-209), National Insurance (FY18-202), GIC Re (FY18-31, FY19-21, FY20 and FY22-27 persons), United India Insurance (FY18-657, FY19-12, FY-21- 8) and Agriculture Insurance (FY18-45 and FY22 -1 person).

Meanwhile, the officials of government owned four general insurance companies told IANS that the companies closing/merging offices and employees are redeployed.