Despite denial of compensation to the cycle pump-sterilised victims of Angul district, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reiterated its stand and directed the State Chief Secretary to pay a sum of Rs 14 lakh to 56 women, who had undergone inexpressible stigma due to the sterilisation violating the norms and parameters of medical practice.
Acting on the petition and subsequent submissions by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy and a series of reports submitted by the State authorities, the NHRC has passed the order and sought payment of compensation and its proof to be submitted to it within six weeks.
Earlier presuming the Government of Odisha has no objection in payment of compensation to the victims as the Government failed to respond to the show-cause notice issued by the NHRC, it had directed the State to pay Rs 25,000 each to the 56 victims.
However when the direction reached the Chief Secretary office and the news became viral by media, the Chief Secretary submitted a reply stating, “As per the statements recorded, none of the women have reported any complaint or complication pursuant to the sterilisation operation.”
“In fact, due care was taken and better services were provided to the women who had undergone sterilisation operation on December 28, 2014. As the State Government has provided all available facilities to the patients and there was no complication and complaint after the operation,” the reply further stated.
The Chief Secretary also requested to the NHRC to reconsider not to award Rs 25,000 each to the victims.
Normally, insufflators are used in laparoscopic operation to pump carbon dioxide gas into the abdomen of women for regulating gas pressure during the operation. Since insufflators are not available, the bicycle pumps are used as substitute.
Rural and poor women are being discriminated against the urban, rich counterparts in sterilisation drive, activist Tripathy alleged.
Pursuant to the NHRC direction, during investigation by QAC members not a single allegation or complaint has been reported by the relatives of the client about negligence or any kind of inconvenience.
The opinions of the relatives in client audit formats are obtained and PRI members have signed it as a witness. In the statements of 56 women, all of them have confirmed that they have no complaints regarding the sterilisation operation.
Even if all the victims turned hostile in this internationally blamed-tubectomy case, Tripathy tried his best in his submissions before the NHRC to compensate the victims and stop this practice not only in Odisha but in the entire county.
The NHRC held that the State Government is vicariously responsible for the violation of the human rights of these 56 women and issued show- cause notice to the Government to pay Rs 25,000 to each one of the victims. Since the Government failed to reply, the NHRC directed the Chief Secretary of Odisha to ensure the payment and submit the proof of payment within six weeks..