PMPML awards ₹4 cr compensation to over 112 families under Shraddhanjali scheme

Under this fund, an amount of ₹50 is deducted from the salary of 8,000-odd employees annually and the amount thus collected ( ₹4 lakh) is used to fund ex-gratia payouts to the next of kin of the deceased

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has awarded ₹4 crores as compensation to the next of kin of 112 employees who lost their lives while on duty (accidents and natural deaths) under the special ‘Shraddhanjali’ or homage fund created by PMPML employees since January 2019.

The homage fund is not a financial burden on the PMPML as the employees themselves pool in the amount as financial compensation for the loss of life. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Under this fund, an amount of ₹50 is deducted from the salary of 8,000-odd employees annually and the amount thus collected ( ₹4 lakh) is used to fund ex-gratia payouts to the next of kin of the deceased. The next of kin of the deceased gets ₹4 lakh from the PMPML administration within a period of one month, subject to the condition that the nomination process has been completed with submission of requisite documents for crediting the amount. The emergency/homage fund is swiftly credited into the account of the deceased employee as the procedure to get pension, gratuity, provident fund or other dues and compensation is time-consuming. Moreover, the job that is offered on humanitarian grounds to the deceased’s children or spouse takes time which creates a financial crisis for the family.

The homage fund is not a financial burden on the PMPML as the employees themselves pool in the amount as financial compensation for the loss of life. The employee federation while coming up with the dedicated fund had stated that the amount of ₹30,000 from the death fund being offered by the PMPML management was peanuts compared to the expenses incurred by the family of the deceased and the rising costs of inflation.

PMPML public relations officer (PRO) Satish Gaate said, “The scheme is run entirely by the employees, and the role of the administration is limited in maintaining transparency in the entire functioning. The kin of the deceased employees are awarded a compensation of ₹4 lakh and since the inception of the scheme, we have awarded ₹4 crore compensation to over 112 families which is commendable. We will continue to take the best measures for the welfare and overall development of our employees. At the same time, in case of accidental deaths, the new India Insurance Company awards a compensation of ₹10 lakh to the employee who dies during an accident.”

The PMPML came into being on October 19, 2007 after the state government merged the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) into a single entity to provide better services to the residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.