The Pune Municipal Corporation is considering a policy to provide immediate financial and medical assistance to citizens killed or seriously injured in accidents within civic limits, with proposed relief ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh depending on the severity of the incident.
The proposal, cited in a report by the Times of India, seeks to cover road accidents and incidents involving municipal roads, pedestrian facilities, drains, footpaths, construction works, public places and other PMC infrastructure. It proposes up to Rs 10 lakh for the legal heirs of people killed in accidents, Rs 5 lakh for seriously injured citizens and Rs 2 lakh for people suffering minor injuries.
The proposal was put forward by PMC corporator Amol Balwadkar, who said accident-related medical costs could place a major burden on families. He also pointed to the financial disruption caused when the sole earning member of a household dies.
The suggested process would rely on authorised police records or first information reports, medical certificates, hospital documents, post-mortem reports in cases of death and documents establishing legal heirs. The assistance would be treated as interim humanitarian relief and would not affect a beneficiary’s right to seek insurance, compensation through the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, court-ordered compensation or other legal remedies.
The civic administration has not yet approved the policy. Committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the proposal would be sent to the administration for study before a final decision is taken. PMC’s legal department is expected to frame suitable provisions if the proposal proceeds.
A senior PMC official said the scheme would require dedicated funds and a budgetary allocation. The official said the funds would be disbursed when eligible mishaps occur, but the proposal does not yet establish the size of the required annual allocation or a final implementation timeline. The administration’s review is the next step before the civic body decides whether to adopt the assistance framework.
