S.A.S. Nagar, May 31- The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is not giving disability benefit to insured person Satnam Singh, a lineman, who lost both his hands due to electric shock while working on HT line in Industrial Area, Phase-7, Mohali last year during duty.
Giving information in this regard, advocate Jasbir Singh said that on August 28, 2024, Satnam Singh fell from the pole due to electric shock while working on HT line in Industrial Area, Phase-7, near ESIC office. He lost both his arms, and the online accident report was submitted by his employer on September 6, 2024.
He informed that after the accident, Satnam Singh was taken to the local IVY Hospital, where he underwent indoor treatment from August 28, 2024 to October 1, 2024. At that time he required further treatment as his left hand was amputated; however, ESIC ignored the suggestion of further hospital admission, and he was discharged as no approval for his subsequent treatment was received from ESIC.
He informed that Satnam Singh started bleeding from the upper part of his left hand, and then his family took him to ESIC Hospital, Mohali, from where he was referred to Indus Hospital, Mohali. Due to lack of proper treatment by ESIC, he was forced to seek treatment from PGI, Chandigarh, where he was admitted from 20 November to 19 December. Due to infection, his entire left hand was amputated. Satnam Singh is an Electrical Diploma holder from Government Polytechnic College, Mohali (Khooni Mazra) and has been working as a contractual lineman in Punjab State Power Corporation Limited since 2 December 2020.
According to Satnam Singh, if ESIC had extended his treatment at IVY Hospital till October 1, 2024, half of his left hand could have been saved. He informed that he was a member of ESIC scheme with IP number 1215299638 and was eligible for 100 per cent of his last drawn salary as lifetime pension and ESI leave salary during treatment from ESIC. However, for the last nine months he and his family members visited the local office of ESIC in Phase-7 several times to get his benefits, but they have not received a single penny yet. Yesterday also he went to the local office of ESIC with his brother to get information about the payment of his pension and leave salary, but the staff of the ESIC office turned them back empty-handed.
He informed that Satnam Singh is eligible for the first payment of permanent disability benefit in more than a month as per ESIC General Regulations 1950, Para 52 (1) (f). It is also the duty of the ESIC officer to visit the house of the totally disabled insured person and complete all the formalities, but in this case nobody visited his house and no ESIC benefits have been released. The ESIC Act is a social security law, and its object is to provide certain benefits to the employees in cases of sickness, maternity and employment injury.
This poor person humbly requests the Hon'ble Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh to take up his case with the Regional Director, ESIC, Madh Marg, Sector-19A, Chandigarh for releasing his legitimate ESIC benefits within the time limit, as this case is already badly pending with the ESIC for more than nine months.