Maha Govt announces Rs 50 lakh accident cover for frontline warriors including police, Aanganwadi workers, home guards

Mumbai: Maharashtra Government will provide a comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 lakhs to all employees who are on active duty relating to survey, tracing, testing, prevention and treatment and relief activities for COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to healthcare staff, the personnel from the district administration, police, home guards, Aanganwadi workers, finance and treasury, food and civil supply, water supply and sanitation and employees of various other departments deputed for house to house survey work will be the beneficiaries. The State Government’s Rs 50 lakh personal accident cover is on the lines of the Centre which on March 28 had announced a medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for frontline warriors working in government hospitals, laboratories.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance department, said his department has issued a notification on Friday. He informed that the modalities in this regard are being worked out with insurance companies. Till the time such package is worked out and the insurance scheme comes into force, as an interim measure, all cases of deaths of the employees on duties (survey, tracing, tracking, prevention, testing, treatment, relief activities), on account of COVID, will be covered through ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50 lakhs. ‘’State Government is committed to the welfare of such personnel and intends to standby them in such vulnerable situations,’’ said Pawar.

However, the government in the notification said that the employee should have been on duty within the 14-day period preceding his/her hospitalization or death. The verification/certification in this regard would be done by District Magistrates or any other designated Head of Departments.

Further, the medical certification that death is related to COVID-19, would be done on the basis of a report of Government/Municipal/ICMR notified Private Hospital /Laboratory.

The government has clarified that employees would include all contractual/outsourced/daily wages/ad-hoc/ honorarium-based staff also. The budget heads in this regard would be notified by the concerned departments.

A similar ex-gratia assistance scheme will also be implemented by all Local Bodies and State Govt. Public Undertakings.