The Delhi High Court has ordered compensation of Rs. 30 lakh to each of the families of three manual scavengers who lost their lives while cleaning a drain in 2017.
Justice Sachin Datta instructed the city authorities to disburse the amount to the families within eight weeks.
The court addressed a plea filed by the relatives of the deceased sanitation workers, who were employed by a sub-contractor of the Delhi Jal Board. Among the petitioners was the widow of one of the manual scavengers, while the other two were brothers of another worker.
They argued that although they had received compensation of Rs. 10 lakh at the time of their loved ones’ deaths, it should be increased to Rs. 30 lakh.
Justice Datta noted that the Supreme Court, in the case of Balram Singh v. Union of India, had directed that the compensation of Rs. 10 lakh awarded to the families of the deceased workers be raised to Rs. 30 lakh.
He emphasized that these directives, strictures, and restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court applied not only to the Delhi Jal Board but also to any agency engaged by it or by the Union or State Government for sewage-related work in Delhi.
“It would be unjust if the entitlement of the family members of the deceased scavenging workers remained limited to Rs. 10 lakh and would also go against the Supreme Court’s directions,” the court stated.
The court directed that the sum of Rs. 30,00,000/- be paid to the first petitioner, identified as the sole surviving legal heir of the deceased worker, Mr. Annu. Additionally, the second and third petitioners, identified as two of the three surviving brothers of another deceased sanitation worker, were entitled to a proportional share of the compensation.
Petitioners’ Counsel: Mr. Pawan Reley, Mr. Akshay Lodhi, Ms. Simran Singh, and Mr. Vivek Gupta, Advocates
Respondents’ Counsel: Mr. Ripin Sood, Advocate for R-1 GNCTD; Mr. Amit Sharma, Advocate for R-2/DJB; Ms. Monika Arora, CGSC, and Mr. Subhrodeep Saha, Advocate for UOI; Ms. Puja Kalra, SC, and Mr. Virendra Singh, Advocate for MCD
