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Issue GO on compensation to Gaja victims: HC
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Department of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management to take a policy decision with regard to the quantum of compensation payable to victims of cyclone Gaja, which hit a majority of the delta districts in the State last year. Based on such policy decision, a Government Order (GO) should be issued, the Bench added.
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Madurai
The petition by S. Muruganandam of Pattukottai in Thanjavur district seeking compensation for tiled houses damaged by the cyclone that struck on November 15, 2018, came up for hearing before Justice R. Suresh Kumar.
The petitioner stated that Revenue officials then visited his property on November 16 last year and assessed the damage caused by Gaja. As no compensation has been paid for all these months, the petitioner approached the court, he said.
During the last hearing, a direction was given to the respondents through the Additional Government Pleader (AGP) to get written instruction with regard to the prayer.
Since the petitioner’s tiled house had not been included in the list of damaged properties which were entitled to compensation in the ‘GO’ dated 20.11.2018, immediate compensation could not be given to the petitioner, but now, it has been stated by the Tahsildar that steps were being taken to get sanction from the higher authorities, the AGP stated.
After hearing, the Judge observed that the government has not made any provision for providing compensation to those Gaja victims who lost their tiled or pucca house. It was not known whether this omission of tiled house from the purview of paying compensation in the said G.O. was an inadvertent omission or purposeful one.
After further observations, the Bench ordered compensation earmarked must be equal or adequate enough to enable the victims to reconstruct their houses.
Until full compensation is paid, interim compensation, which could be decided by the district administration, should be paid to such victims, depending upon the immediate need.
The State government should hence exercise the responsibility within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of a copy ofthe order and submit a report, the Bench ruled.
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