The Delhi High Court in the case Preeti v. Union of India & Ors., observed wherein the plea is moved of a sanitation worker’s widow for enhancement of compensation from Rs.10 lacs to 30 lacs which is based on judgement of Supreme Court in the case Balram Singh v. Union of India & Ors, whereby the court issued direction w.r.t. compensation of dependents of victims who have lost their lives in manual scavenging.
In the present case, the petitioner had approached the court assailing grant of compensation to the tune for an amount of Rs.10 lacs. Thus, she seeks a direction to concerned agencies to provide her full rehabilitation including employment, as well as education to her children and skill training in terms of the decision in Balram Singh.
The Supreme Court in the case of Balram Singh observed and has directed in the Union and States to ensure increase in compensation for sewer deaths in the following terms: The court hereby directed the Union and the States in order to ensure that the compensation for sewer deaths is increased (given that the previous amount fixed, i.e., for an amount of Rs. 10 lakhs) was made applicable from 1993. Therefore, the court stated that the current equivalent of that amount is Rs. 30 lakhs and the same shall be the amount to be paid, by the concerned agency, i.e., the Union, the Union Territory, or the State as the case may be. Thus, in other words, the compensation for sewer deaths shall be Rs. 30 lakhs and in the event, the dependents of any victim have not been paid such amount, the above amount shall be payable to them. Further, the same shall be the amount to be hereafter paid, as compensation. The Supreme Court in the case observed and has directed the Union and the State territories to ensure that full rehabilitation (which includes the employment to the next of kin, education to the wards, and skill training) measures are taken in respect of sewage workers, and those who die.
The bench headed by Justice Subramonium Prasad while considering the decision in Balram Singh ordered that the directions passed therein shall apply mutatis mutandis to the petitioner’s case and be implemented within the period of 2 months. The counsel, Advocates Pawan Reley, Akshay Lodhi and Simran Singh appeared for petitioner. The counsel, Advocate Sweta Priya appeared for the MCD. The counsel, ASC Vaibhav Agnihotri with Advocates Garima Khanna and Ankita Sarangi appeared for NDMC.
The counsel, ASC Anuj Aggarwal, GNCTD appeared with Advocates Aakash Dahiya and Yash Upadhyay represented the respondent Nos.2 and 6.