MUMBAI: The state government has doubled ex gratia payment for accidental death and permanent/partial disability of a student in Maharashtra from this academic year. The family of a student who dies in an accident will now be entitled to Rs 1.50 lakh as against the earlier Rs 75,000, while the ex gratia for permanent disability due to an accident has been raised from existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
In a circular dated June 21, the school education and sports department has amended the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Student Accident Ex Gratia Grant’ scheme. The scheme for class 1 to 12 students has been on at irregular intervals since 2010.
The death has to be certified by a civil surgeon and the beneficiary of the ex gratia will be the mother. In case the mother has passed away, the father gets the one-time payment. If both parents are deceased, the money goes to an adult sibling (18 years and above).
Permanent disability, on the other hand, includes two organs and two eyes, and here, too, the disability has to be certified by a civil surgeon. The ex gratia for partial permanent disability (one organ, one eye) has been raised from Rs 30,000 to Rs 75,000. The final decision on claims will be made by a committee after verifying relevant documents. State education officials said the response to the scheme has been poor due to lack of awareness. Accidents resulting from stunts by students, death by suicide and attempt to suicide will not attract the ex-gratia payments.
