Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning a policy to provide immediate financial and medical assistance to families of citizens killed or seriously injured in accidents within civic limits.“Such accidents impose a massive burden of medical expenses on the affected families. The death of the sole breadwinner can completely destabilise a family financially. Therefore, the PMC must formulate a clear, transparent, and uniform policy to provide immediate interim financial and medical assistance to eligible citizens during such crises,” said Amol Balwadkar, a PMC corporator.The proposal said the policy should cover road accidents and incidents involving municipal roads, pedestrian facilities, drains, footpaths, construction works, public places and PMC infrastructure. It proposed up to Rs 10 lakh for legal heirs of those killed, Rs5 lakh for seriously injured citizens and Rs 2 lakh for minor injuries.It added that the procedure for disbursing assistance would be formulated using authorised police records or FIRs, medical certificates, hospital documents, post-mortem reports in deaths and legal-heir documents.The proposal said assistance would be interim humanitarian relief and would not affect legal rights to claim insurance, Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal compensation, court compensation or other legal remedies. PMC’s legal department would frame suitable provisions.“The proposal will be given to the civic administration for study. Their review will be sought, and then the final decision can be taken,” said committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale.PMC officials said the scheme would require dedicated funds and a budgetary allocation if approved. “A budgetary allocation for these beneficiaries will have to be made. These dedicated funds will be disbursed as and when the mishaps occur,” a senior PMC official said.
