The Odisha High Court has issued notice to the Keonjhar district Collector on a PIl questioning the quantum of compensation to the family of a five-year-old girl student, who died in October 2013 when a Government-run school wall caved in.
Asking the Collector to reply by an affidavit, a Division Bench of Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice AK Rath has directed the case to be listed on July 3, 2014 for further hearing.
The petition has been filed by the girl’s father Madhav Soren seeking compensation of Rs 10 lakh stating that his daughter Raimati died when the kitchen wall of the school wall collapsed. The school, Kolhabeda Ashram, is an institution under the SC and ST Development Department in the Ghasipura block of Keonjhar district.
On the fateful day of October 3, 2013 at about 6.45 am, Raimati and other students of the Ashram hostel were brushing teeth near the newly-constructed kitchen shed when all of a sudden the sidewall of the kitchen collapsed. While the other students managed to escape, Raimati was crushed under the falling wall, the petition said.
She was immediately rushed to a nearby Community Health Centre, where she was declared brought dead. After being informed by the Head Sevak of the school, her father came to the hospital. After the postmortem, the body was taken to her village Billa Akhupal and cremation was conducted.
The district administration granted Rs 10, 000 and subsequently the State Government paid ex-gratia of Rs 50,000. But describing this amount as grossly inadequate, the petitioner has moved the High Court demanding a compensation of Rs.10 lakh for the failure of the State to ensure the safety of the tribal girl, who was in care and custody of the State when she was in a Government-run
residential school.