Shipping ministry announces Rs 50 lakh compensation for employees at Major Ports

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday declared a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for people employed with major ports in the country, in case they lose their lives to Covid-19.

The monetary compensation will be extended to direct employees as well as contractual labourers, the ministry of shipping said in a statement.

Ministry of Shipping has decided that all the Major Ports may grant compensation ex-gratia in the event of loss of life due to COVID-19 to the dependent members or legal heirs of the port employees, it said.

India has 12 major ports—Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Cochin, to name a few.

“Monetary Compensation is declared to cover the risk of life due to COVID-19 contamination while discharging the Port related duty,” it said.

The port chairman will be the competent authority for settling claims and disbursement of the compensation and also the verifying authority for the cause of death from COVID-19.

The compensation will be applicable only for the pandemic of COVID-19 and shall be in force up to September 30, 2020. subject to review thereafter, the government said.