Disabled employees to get equal insurance benefits: Centre

The Centre informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that differently-abled government employees will be eligible for equal benefits for the postal life insurance policy with maximum limit of Rs five lakh.

The Centre informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that differently-abled government employees will be eligible for equal benefits for the postal life insurance policy with maximum limit of Rs five lakh.

HT Image

Ministry of Communication and Information Technology counsel told the court that a decision has already been taken by the department to give equal treatment to the differently-abled government employees.

A division bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw was hearing a PIL filed by visually impaired Vikas Gupta, a professor, seeking parity with the general employees in terms of benefits.

Gupta alleged discrimination by the government with the disabled employees in terms of conferred benefits. His counsel Pankaj Sinha said the disabled employees were asked to pay extra-premium in terms of the policy.

He submitted that according to the insurance policy, employees can avail a maximum of Rs five lakh and minimum of Rs 10,000 sum insured whereas the differently-abled employees were getting merely Rs one lakh.

The government's counsel said the department would take a decision shortly with regard to the extra premium paid by the disabled employees.

The Bench fixed the matter for further hearing on January 20 and directed the government to file a detailed affidavit on the issue.