Chief Minister Raghubar Das has announced doubling the present year compensatory budget to the family members of victims of naxal attacks, witch hunting, acid attack survivors and others of Rs 2.5 crores to Rs 5 crores from next year. He also asked officials during 3rd State level Colloquium on Victim Emancipation through Compensation organised by Jharkhand State legal Services Authority (JHAlSA) in its premises today to expedite cases related to the elder, women, child and victims on priority basis.
“Victims should be compensated as early as possible. Taking two years’ time to provide them compensation doesn’t make much sense in a welfare state. Officials need to be extra sensitive while dealing with cases in which any poor, downtrodden, an elderly or a child has been suffering due to slow disposal of files,” said the CM in his inaugural address. He also distributed as many as seven appointment letters to dependents of victims of naxal attacks.
Supreme Court Judge Justice SA Bobde, Jharkhand High Court Acting Chief Justice and JHAlSA patron Justice PK Mohanty, High Court Judge and JHAlSA Executive Chairman Justice DN Patel, High Court Judge and HClSC Chairman Justice HC Mishra, Home Department Principal Secretary SKG Rahate, IG (Jail) Suman Gupta, legal advisors of the State, Deputy Commissioners and District Judges of all 24 districts, Superintendent of Police (SP) of all the districts and dozens of distinguished guests from legal fraternity and others were present on the occasion.
Praising efforts of the Jharkhand government for victim compensation, Justice Bobde pointed out the importance of compensation to a victim. “Giving punishment to the accused is always half task done. The other half is, though can never be fully, to the some extent, satisfied only after victim is compensated timely and adequately. Courts in the past used to punish the accused, and forgot the victims most of the time which often resulted many of the victims not only developing a feeling of dissatisfaction towards law and establishment, but also getting ready to take revenge and commit a crime. Compensation to the victims somehow stops this chain reaction,” said Justice Bobde.
At the same time, Justice Patel said that compensation was not mercy to victim, but was mandatory in any welfare State. He also praised the government which had already increased last year compensatory budget of Rs 95 lakh to Rs 2.5 crore for this year, and helping victims otherwise also.
Das added after distributing compensation cheque to family members and dependents of the victims of naxal attacks, witch-hunting, murder in family dispute, rape and murder and survivors of acid attacks that a rich state like Jharkhand could only think of empowering its poor, suppressed, helpless and hopeless people after it provided timely, adequate and humane support to them.