Punjab revises accident compensation policy for PSPCL staff

Power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said the ex-gratia assistance for fatal accidents has been increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh for workers working on contractual terms

The Punjab government has introduced an Accident Compensation Policy for employees of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) with effect from December 8.

Punjab revises accident compensation policy for PSPCL staff (HT Photo)

Power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that the policy is designed to provide financial support to employees, including regular, contractual, and sub-contractual workers, in the face of work-related accidents. Under the new policy, regular employees of PSPCL will not only receive accidental benefits but also have access to medical advances of up to ₹3 lakh during emergencies, ensuring that they face no financial difficulties in obtaining necessary medical treatment, he said.

The minister said the ex-gratia assistance for fatal accidents has been increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh for workers working on contractual terms. Additionally, the amount of group insurance for such workers has been raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, providing enhanced financial protection.

He said before the introduction of this policy, workers in the contractual and sub-contractual categories did not receive any financial benefits in the event of non-fatal accidents. “The new policy addresses this gap by ensuring that, in the event of 100% disability, an amount of ₹10 lakh will be paid. Moreover, compensation for disabilities will be determined proportionately based on the severity of the incident,” he said.

Harbhajan Singh said that for regular employees, there is no change in the scheme in case of fatal accidents as the new policy continues to maintain the provision for ₹10 lakh ex-gratia payment, group insurance of ₹1 lakh and medical bill reimbursement as per government norms. However, there is now a provision for medical advance for the treatment of injured employees immediately after an accident due to electrocution. There was no such provision earlier.