By TCN News
Ahmedabad: Today on April 23, 2010, Division Bench of the High Court of Gujarat headed by Chief Justice Mukhopadhaya has passed a historic order in the case of Mr. Gagan Sethi and Mr. Yusuf Sheikh vs. State of Gujarat (SCA 14664/2008) to complete the disbursement of compensation toward the loss to uninsured commercial and industrial property till the end of June. Accordingly, the compensation amounting around Rs. 190 crores will be paid to the victims. Further, the Court issued direction to complete the processes of giving employment to riot affected families in Para-Military Force etc.
In another issue in the same petition regarding illegal demolition of a relief colony constructed by Jamiat-Ullema-E-Hind at Chandola Talab, namely, Siasat Nagar where riot affected families had lived, the Court had directed the State Government to provide houses and Rs. 5000/ to 45 households whose verification was done by Ahmadabad District Collector.
To recall, this PIL was filed regarding non disbursement of the enhanced compensation to the victims of 2002 riots as announced by the UPA led Central Government in March 2007. Accordingly, Rs. 3.5 lakh for death, 1.25 lakh for injuries and 10 times of the earlier compensation paid towards loss to residential, uninsured commercial and industrial property. The central government had also promised to give preference to the riot affected families in job in paramilitary forces, public sector unit by giving age relaxation and directed State government to launch special recruitment drive to accommodate eligible members of riot affected families. It urged the Government to hasten the process of disbursement of new compensation package for victims of 2002 riots and also to allow rejoining to those who lost their jobs, by treating the period of absence as ‘dies on’ and to provide pensionary benefits to those who left jobs due to riots and crossed age of super-annuation, by relaxing normal rules.