Delhi high court slams govt for inconsistent compensation policy

The Delhi high court on Thursday pulled up the central government for not being consistent in payment of compensation in cases of bomb blasts and other tragedies.

Hearing a public interest petition, a division bench directed the Centre to file an affidavit within one week detailing the possibility of evolving uniform guidelines on compensation.

The bench comprising Justices Arun Kumar and Dalbeer Bhandari also issued notices to other respondents -- the Delhi government, the police commissioner and three other police officials of Delhi -- asking them to file their reply in this matter by September 12, the date of next hearing.

The bench asked the central government counsel Meera Bhatia to explain why the Centre was not paying uniform compensation.

The PIL was filed by Pandit Parmanand Katara challenging the government's decision to give Rs 100,000 as ex-gratia payment to the victims of Lajpat Nagar bomb blast. He had demanded that a compensation of Rs 500,000 should be given to the families of those who died in the incident.

Bhatia contended that the government was paying more than the normal compensation in the case as it was announced by a minister who had visited the site. Reacting to this, the court said that as the life of every individual is important, the government should evolve a consistent policy on the matter of compensation.

UNI