In a small consolation to the kin of 94 schoolchildren who were charred to death in the worst ever school fire tragedy in the state in 2004, the Tamil Nadu government has told the Madras high court that it would give Rs 5 lakh each as compensation along with interest from the date of the incident.
On July 19, 2004, thatched classrooms of Srikrishna School in Kumbakonam caught fire, killing 94 children. Noting that apart from an ex gratia sum of Rs 1 lakh, family members of the victims did not receive any other compensation from the government or the offending school management, a PIL was filed by Inbaraj more than a decade later.
The high court had then appointed a single judge to go into the quantum of the compensation and submit a report. The judge had recommended Rs 5 lakh each to families of the victims.
Though the petitioner sought a five-fold increase in the compensation package, along with adequate interest on the package, later the demand was confined only to interest rate. In its earlier order dated July 13, 2016, the first bench had made certain observations with regard to compensation percentage.
On Tuesday, it was submitted by the government that it had accepted the petitioner's request and that it would pay interest from the date of the incident. The interest rate prevailing between 2004 and 2011 was 8%, for the year 2011-12, it was 8.6% and in 2012-2016, it was 8.7%.
The additional advocate general of Tamil Nadu told the bench that beneficiaries should disclose their respective bank accounts to the government through their counsel, and the amount would be transferred directly to the accounts within four weeks.
Accepting the government's contention and expressing hope, the first bench then closed the PIL proceedings in the matter.
On July 19, 2004, thatched classrooms of Srikrishna School in Kumbakonam caught fire, killing 94 children. Noting that apart from an ex gratia sum of Rs 1 lakh, family members of the victims did not receive any other compensation from the government or the offending school management, a PIL was filed by Inbaraj more than a decade later.
The high court had then appointed a single judge to go into the quantum of the compensation and submit a report. The judge had recommended Rs 5 lakh each to families of the victims.
Though the petitioner sought a five-fold increase in the compensation package, along with adequate interest on the package, later the demand was confined only to interest rate. In its earlier order dated July 13, 2016, the first bench had made certain observations with regard to compensation percentage.
On Tuesday, it was submitted by the government that it had accepted the petitioner's request and that it would pay interest from the date of the incident. The interest rate prevailing between 2004 and 2011 was 8%, for the year 2011-12, it was 8.6% and in 2012-2016, it was 8.7%.
The additional advocate general of Tamil Nadu told the bench that beneficiaries should disclose their respective bank accounts to the government through their counsel, and the amount would be transferred directly to the accounts within four weeks.
Accepting the government's contention and expressing hope, the first bench then closed the PIL proceedings in the matter.