Representative image of KSRTC buses.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: In a first, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has disbursed Rs 25 lakh in compensation to a driver who lost his right leg in an accident while on duty.
The beneficiary is Sunilkumar BD, a driver and conductor from the Arkalgud Depot, Hassan division. He lost his right leg in a collision between a KSRTC bus and a lorry near the Kunigal bypass on March 25, 2024. He was granted Injury on Duty (IOD) leave from March 25 to December 9.
The KSRTC said it fully covered his medical expenses amounting to Rs 4.85 lakh and assigned him light duty as a technical assistant.
On Saturday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy presented him with a cheque for Rs 25 lakh.
Reddy, along with KSRTC Vice-Chairman Mohammed Rizwan Nawab, also distributed cheques of Rs 1 crore each to the dependents of two employees who died in fatal accidents while on duty, and Rs 10 lakh each to the dependents of 31 employees who passed away due to heart attack, cancer, stroke, and other causes.
In total, the KSRTC said it has paid Rs 1 crore each to the dependents of 26 employees who died in accidents while on duty, and Rs 10 lakh each to the dependents of 125 employees who passed away due to various health conditions.
In addition, under the KSRTC Arogya Scheme, over 56,000 staff and dependents have received cashless treatment at more than 300 hospitals across the state.