With a view to amend the Public Liability Insurance Rules, 1991, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (“MoEFCC”) has issued the draft Public Liability Insurance (Amendment) Rules, 2024 (“Draft”) and invited comments from the public by 17th September, 2024.
Key Highlights:
- New Definitions of Adjudicating Officer, Assessment Report and Presenting Officer has been proposed to be inserted;
- Modifications have been proposed to be made to the provision relating to making an application for claim of relief and it has been proposed to add filing of an application for claim for restoration of property by any person or entity who holds an interest in the affected public property;
- A new provision has been proposed to be inserted which requires an industrial unit to publicize among the affected people regarding their right to claim for relief in case any accident has occurred in any industrial unit due to manufacture, processing, treatment, package, storage, transportation by vehicle, use, collection, destruction, conversion, offering for sale, transfer or the like of hazardous substance;
- Further, it has been proposed to substitute the provision regarding the extent of liability and the maximum aggregate liability of the insurer to pay relief under an award;
- New provisions regarding appointment of Adjudicating Officer, Allocation of funds for Environmental Damage, Manner of inquiry by Adjudicating Officer, etc. have been proposed to be inserted;
- The form for application for compensation has been proposed to be substituted and new forms for application of allocation of funds from Environmental Relief Fund and formats for Details To Be Furnished By The Person Lodging The Non-Compliance (Or) Contravention, the undertaking for the same, notice to the respondent, presenting officer, etc. have been proposed.
Any objection/suggestions in this regard may be done in writing through post to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi – 110003 or electronically sent at email address: (mishra.vp@gov.in) or (vinodsingh.77@gov.in).
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
