Punjab to give compensation to accident victims

Punjab government today said it has formulated a policy to give compensation to accident victims in the State.
Under the scheme, death or permanent total disability due to accidents like rail, road or air accidents, riot, strike and terrorism, snake bite, drowning, poisoning and electrocution would be covered, an official spokesperson said here.
Besides, falling from height, collapse of house or building, fire, explosion, attack by animals, stampede and suffocation, frostbite, sun burn, lightening and burn injuries would also be covered, he said.
Death or permanent total disability caused due to occupational hazards like threshing machine and industrial machine would be covered under the scheme.

A sum of Rs 1 lakh would be given in death case and permanent disability while Rs 50,000 in case of loss of two limbs, two eyes, one limb and one eye and Rs 25,000 in case of loss of one eye or one limb, he said.
All the persons in the age group of 18 to 60 years of all the families in Punjab whose names appear in the voter list or who hold ration card issued by the State Food and Supplies Department shall be covered, subject to the condition that the benefit under the scheme will be admissible for only one member of the family.

However, government employees and income tax payers are barred under the scheme. Benefit of the scheme for death or permanent disability resulting from accident occurring even outside Punjab shall be extended under the scheme, he said.