The Cabinet in Kerala has given its consent to the general guidelines for execution of a special aid scheme for employees who meet with accidents— whether fatal or not— while on duty,
All accident casualties, including unnatural death, will be covered under the scheme, as revealed by Finance Minister KN Balagopal.
The new guidelines clarify the prevailing rules that grant aid to employees who meet with accidents in the process of discharging their duties at work. Death as a result of accident on duty and death in the process of trying to save someone’s life or property as part of duty will be considered unnatural death while on duty. Only an attestation by authorities (police or revenue) or a statement in the FIR will be required. An attestation from the collector or head of department should state that the death occurred while on duty.
The aid will also benefit employees who are assigned the work of treating or looking after those suffering from infectious diseases during an epidemic or pandemic and lose their lives from getting infected themselves. Such instances will be considered as unnatural death. Employees who happen to meet with an accident on their way to or from work/duty will also be covered under this aid.
Employees who happen to lose their lives during rescue operations, or get electrocuted while on duty, or die from a fatal fall or while chasing criminals or are attacked by wild animals will also be covered under this aid.
Those who meet their end while performing some official work outside of the office or while on an official trip will also be covered by the scheme, as their deaths will be considered unnatural.
The ex gratia grant to employees who die or meet with accidents while on duty but who are not covered by the Jeevan Raksha scheme of the State Insurance Department has been raised to Rs 10 lakh. Earlier, it was Rs 1.5 lakh.
In case an employee is rendered permanently disabled due to an accident at work, the said employee will be eligible for assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh. If the disability is certified to be over 60 per cent, financial assistance worth Rs four lakh will be granted, while disability of 40-50 per cent will be allowed monetary assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh.
