Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday handed over a compensation cheque of Rs 1 crore to the family of Pichheswara Rao, an excise department head constable who died accidentally while on duty, at the Secretariat.

The compensation was sanctioned under the SBI Insurance Scheme, implemented following an MoU signed between the state government and the State Bank of India in March 2025. This is the first instance of compensation being disbursed under the scheme since the signing of the agreement.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of the government’s full support. He stated that compassionate appointment would be provided to an eligible family member. Addressing excise officials, the Chief Minister urged them to work with dedication and bring a good name to the government. He emphasised that public health is more important than government revenue and called for focused efforts in that direction.

Employee union leaders welcomed the provision of insurance benefits through the SBI SGS Salary Account for the welfare of state government employees. Excise commissioner Cherukuri Sridhar, enforcement director Rahul Dev Sharma and Excise Officers’ Association leaders were present.