HC calls for guidelines to formulate compensation

Chennai: The Madras High  Court has directed the  Tamil Nadu government  to formulate guidelines to  determine the quantum of  compensation/ex-gratia  payable to victims of accidents, which occurred  in public places. Justice S  M Subramaniam gave the  direction, to be formulated  within eight weeks, while  disposing of a batch of writ  petitions filed from 2012, on  the subject.

The judge noted that different amounts of compensation were awarded by the  authorities concerned for  the same type of accidents  due to extraneous reasons, including political ones. In  one case, Rs 1 crore compensation was paid along  with government jobs and  in another, Rs 50 lakh was  given. In other instances of  the same type of accident,  compensation ranging  from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh  was provided.

The writ petitioners  shall submit their respective applications to the  competent authority for  compensation/ex-gratia  within 12 weeks and the  same shall be considered  based on the guidelines to  be formulated and a decision should be taken within eight weeks thereafter,  the judge said.

The court also made it  clear that payment of compensation/ex-gratia by the  government shall not be a  bar for the eligible victims  to claim insurance benefits  and compensations. -(PTI)