Delhi: In a first, compensation scheme in the works for electrical accidents

Compensation for loss of human life due to an electrical accident will be ₹5 lakh/person

Victims of electrical accidents in the city may soon get compensation of up to ₹5 lakh from power utilities, with the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) issuing draft regulations on a reparation scheme for such cases on Thursday. DERC officials said that this is the first time that the city will have a mandatory compensation scheme in place.

The compensation will be ₹1,00,000 per person in case of disability between 40% and 60%. (Picture for representation only/Bloomberg)

According to the draft regulations, placed in the public domain for a month for comments, the compensation payable for loss of human life or more than 60% disability as a result of an electrical accident will be ₹5,00,000 per person. The compensation will be ₹1,00,000 per person in case of disability between 40% and 60%. Further, subject to production of a government hospital bill, power utilities will need to pay ₹25,000 if a person requires hospitalisation for over a week, and ₹10,000 if the period less than a week. Officials said the compensation slab will become the norm in a month.

The draft regulations come nearly five years after the Delhi high court in December 2016 ruled that power utilities have to compensate the kin of victims in electrocution cases if it was established that there were “lapses” on their part in maintaining prescribed safety measures. The petitioners had then alleged that discoms failed to observe strict compliance of public safety legislations, such as the Electricity Act 2003, which had led to loss of life due to electrocution.

Explaining the process, the DERC stated that a person who is affected by the occurrence of an electrical accident can inform the generating companies or the discom and/or the electrical inspector of the area. The junior electrical engineer, assistant electrical engineer, executive engineer or their equivalent engineer will have to file a report on the incident and submit it to the higher ups. Once the case is cleared for compensation, the amount shall be paid to the persons entitled to receive the compensation within 15 days from the date of the final orders of the concerned authority.

The draft rules also include compensation for loss of cattle or livestock due to electrocution -- ranging from ₹5,000 (sheep/goat/pig etc.) to ₹50,000 (buffalo/cow/camel/yak etc).

For draught animals, such as camel, horse and bullock, the compensation will be ₹25,000, while it is ₹15,000 for donkey, pony or mule.

For poultry, it will be ₹50 per bird, subject to a ceiling of assistance of ₹1,000 per beneficiary household.

The commission clarified that the compensation scheme, which the generation companies or distribution companies (discoms) will be liable to pay on account of any wrongful act, omission, rashness, neglect or default, is irrespective of the insurance or any other scheme entitled to the victim.