Enhancing the compensation of civilian victims, the Centre on Thursday decided to give Rs5 lakh each to the next of kin of each of the 3,325 victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots triggered after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Government also decided to enhance the compensation from Rs3 lakh to Rs5 lakh for all civilian victims of communal, terrorist and Naxal violence.
“The compensation to the families of the anti-Sikh riot victims will be given in addition to what they have so far received from the Government and other agencies from time to time,” said a senior Government official, adding that the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal in this regard.
Of the 3,325 victims, 2,733 were killed in Delhi alone while the rest of the victims were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other States.The Narendra Modi Government had received several petitions from various Sikh organisations in the last three months and the decision came on the eve of the 30th death anniversary of Indira Gandhi.The fresh compensation, which will cost the exchequer Rs166 crore, will be disbursed “as early as possible” and hopefully in the next few weeks, the official said.
“Till now the next of kin of people killed or civilians who suffered permanent incapacitation as a result of such violence were paid Rs3,00,000 as per provisions of the Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist/Communal/Naxal violence since 2008,” the Home Ministry said in a statement.Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka, who has been fighting anti-Sikh riot cases, welcomed the decision of the Government.