Compensation for railway accident victims must be hiked: Bombay HC

Observing that in the light of increasing instances of railway accidents that render many victims or their families incapable of making a living, the Bombay High Court in a recent order said that the government must enhance the compensation paid to such victims to ensure that the amount marches with time, and takes into consideration the increased inflation rates.

A bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and BP Colabawala were hearing a plea filed by a city resident claiming that the apparent disparity between compensation paid to victims or the kin of accidents railway accident victims and those who die in air crash must be done away with.

The petitioner also cited a Delhi high court order of 2015, whereby the court had directed the union government to revise the compensation paid to the kin of victims of rail accidents, saying that there has traditionally been a disparity in compensation payable to kin of railway accident victims and those who die in an air crash, because the railway compensation amount was fixed more than 16 years ago.

Bombay HC too considered the above observation and directed the union government to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken so far to implement the Delhi High Court’s order.

“We would highly appreciate that the compensation offered to the victims of railway accidents marches with the time and the survivors are able to meet the current cost of living and defray expenses which have been incurred for medical treatment. The only request is that the compensation should be realistic, fair and just so that those who are depending upon the deceased / victims can take care of themselves and if the victims require prolonged treatment, the cost of the same can be met with the amount of compensation that has been awarded,” the bench said.

HC is likely to take up the matter for further hearing on November 16 this year.