Coronavirus Outbreak: Govt approves ex-gratia compensation for over 1 lakh FCI employees, including labourers

The Government has approved the proposal for grant of ex-gratia monetary compensation to over a one lakh workers and officers of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) including contractual labourers who are working non-stop to ensure the supply of food grains across the country amidst the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak.

While there is already an existing provision of one-time monetary compensation to kin of FCI employees in case of death due to various unnatural causes, the approval now includes death due to COVID-19 as well.

FCI's 1,08,714 workers, officers, including 80,000 labourers, who are working 24x7 to supply food grains across the country will be covered under the scheme.

"Presently, families of FCI employees are entitled to compensation in the event of death due to terrorist attack, bomb blast, mob attack or natural disaster, but the regular and contractual labourers of FCI are not covered under its provisions," the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a press release.

"Keeping this in view, the Government has decided to provide ex-gratia monetary compensation to all employees and labour of FCI who are working tirelessly despite the threat of infection due to Coronavirus COVID-19," it said.

Under its provisions, during the six month period from March 24, 2020 to September 23, 2020 if anybody dies due to COVID-19 infection while on duty with FCI, the regular FCI labourer will get an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh, contractual labourer will be entitled to Rs 10 lakh, category-1 officers Rs 35 lakh, category-2 officers Rs 30 lakh and category - 3 and 4 workers Rs 25 lakh, the ministry said.

Announcing this, the Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the Central Government is committed to provide all possible security to our corona-warriors engaged in providing essentials and services to the common man during these times of crisis.

Earlier, the Indian Railways said that it is working closely with the FCI, carrying over 20 Lakh MT food grains across the country since March 24. FCI is able to meet the increasing demand of food grains by gearing up the pace of supply of wheat and rice throughout the country mostly by Rail, the Ministry of Railways sai.