The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has threatened to issue “coercive process” under provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 against the State Chief Secretary after sending him a final reminder to pay compensation to the family of the minor schoolgirl, who died in a mishap in school premises in Puri district in July 2013.
It may be mentioned that the NHRC upon admitting a petition from Human Rights activist Prabir Kumar Das had in August last year directed the State Government to pay damage of Rs 3 lakh to the family of Sony Pradhan, who died on August 2, 2013 after a big almirah fell on her in the classroom three days before. The seven-year-old girl was studying in Class-II in the Uttarhana UGME School under the Chandanpur PS. Observing that the girl succumbed to her injuries caused when she was under the care and custody of a Government school, the commission had said the girl’s death caused irreparable loss to the family for which the State must bear liability.
“Although the order for payment of the compensation was made in August 13, 2014 and a reminder to this effect was made a month after, the Government has not compensated the bereaved family yet for which the NHRC was constrained to give an ultimatum to the Chief Secretary,” said Das, who is also an advocate of the Odisha High Court.