The PMC had declared a compensation of Rs 1 crore or Rs 75 lakh and a job to the kin of civic staffers who died of Covid-19. (File) After a long delay, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has completed the process of providing compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of 41 civic staffers, who died due of Covid-19 during the ongoing pandemic.
The PMC had declared a compensation of Rs 1 crore or Rs 75 lakh and a job to the kin of civic staffers who died of Covid-19.
Till date, 51 civic staff have died of the infection. The compensation included a cover provided by the union government as well.
However, the civic body could not provide financial assistance due to a delay in the administrative process.
Elected representatives, led by mayor Murlidhar Mohol in consultation with leaders of other political parties, directed that the civic administration hand over an amount of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of deceased civic staff till the final decision on compensation is taken by the general body.
Earlier, the PMC cover was applicable for staff dying before July 30 last year, but it was extended after objections were raised over it.
As per the mayor’s directions, the civic administration has sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for 15 of the deceased civic staff and proposed to provide it to kin of 26 more deceased civic staffers.
There is a dispute in the family of deceased six civic staffers on claiming the compensation, so the civic administration has kept their proposal of compensation pending.
“The PMC will soon hand over cash compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of 41 civic staffers who died of Covid-19,” said additional municipal commissioner Kunal Khemnar.
The PMC is facing legal problems over compensating four staffers who died of Covid-19, as they were employees of contractors providing services to the civic body.
As per the PMC, 650 of its staff have so far got infected by the coronavirus, with most of them having been cured.
In the recent surge, the civic administration has found that few civic staffers got infected.