The Central Information Commission (CIC) directed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to disclose the status of compensation paid by United Nations Compensation Commission to Indians uprooted from Iraq and Kuwait during the first Gulf War in 1991. The decision of the CIC is considered as a ray of hope for around 500 people, who are yet to receive compensation from the UN Commissions.
RTI applicant Prakash Pradhan, based in Khurda in Odsiha, approached the Supreme Court seeking to know information related to the payment of compensation by the UNCC to the displaced Indians, particularly workers from his district. The apex court said that application does not come under its jurisdiction. Then he approached through RTI.
There are around 500 individuals to whom the balance payment towards compensation claims is yet to be paid, Pradhan claimed during the hearing before the Commission. The Commission was established in the wake of the Gulf War as a subsidiary of the United Nations Security Council to process compensation for costs suffered by expats in Iraq and Kuwait resulting from allegedly unlawful invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussain-ruled Iraq.
UNCC had received approximately 26 lakh claims from over 100 Governments which included over 1.5 lakh claims from Indians who had to be evacuated from Kuwait and Iraq by Indian Government.
The External Affairs Ministry had set a special cell under a Joint Secretary to coordinate with the Commission to facilitate the payments.
Chief Information Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur said, “The Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, is advised to look into the matter and send a reply to the appellant within 30 days.”
Pradhan claimed before the Chief Information Commissioner that the Ministry had informed him in 2014 that his claim of USD 4000 falls in category 'A' and may take one or two years more to be processed depending on the financial situation of the UNCC. He requested that necessary immediate steps may be taken to release and make payment of the awarded compensation amount to the concerned Gulf War victims.