Almost nine years after the tragic deaths of two minor girls drowning in a waterlogged pit in the compound of a Government school in Angul district on September 7, 2012, the Orissa High Court on Thursday directed the State Government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the fathers of the deceased children.
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar found that deaths were entirely avoidable and would not have occurred if barricades had been erected around the excavated pit. “A clear case is made out for grant of compensation for violation of Constitutional right to life of two young children,” the court observed. Notably, Monalisa Naik, daughter of Jambeswar Naik, and Priyanka Das, daughter of Pitabas Das, (both aged four) of Tentulihat village had gone to the Anganwadi Centre located in a primary school and accidentally fallen into the water-filled pit that was excavated for construction of new classrooms.
Fathers of two girls had approached High Court through their counsel Prabir Kumar Das seeking compensation and to issue a set of guidelines or directions with regard to safety of children while undertaking construction work in any school premises. Apart from awarding compensation, which will be paid within four weeks, court also directed all district Collectors of State to ensure strict compliance of directions of Supreme Court regarding measures for prevention of fatal accidents of small children at construction sites and other places.