Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court on Saturday ordered a hike of 50 per cent in compensation being paid to families of 2013 disaster victims besides asking the state government to pay Rs 7,500 per month for the upbringing of minor children of families which had lost their breadwinners in the flash floods tragedy. A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Rajeev Gupta and Justice Alok Singh issued the order on a PIL filed by BJP leaders Ajendra Ajay and Prakash Pant. It was contended in the PIL that a meagre sum of Rs 5 lakh was being given as compensation to the affected families at a time when even a small construction project requires crores of rupees.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the Court directed that as of now families hit by the tragedy must receive 50 per cent more while families of minors without breadwinners must receive Rs 7,500 per month from the state treasury until they reach the age of adulthood. –PTI
