The Madras High Court has ordered notice to the Chief Secretary and the Secretary of School Education Department on a contempt plea moved by the kin of the victims of the Kumbakonam school fire tragedy for failing to disburse compensation.
The First Bench of acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice R. Mahadevan passed the order on a plea moved by the Kumbakonam School Fire Tragedy Victims Association and posted the matter to March 8 for further hearing.
On April 13, 2016, the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the HC to determine compensation payable to the families of 94 children killed in the 2004 tragedy, fixed ₹5 lakh as compensation payable to each of the parents/legal heirs of the victims.
Subsequently, on October 18, 2016, the State government informed the High Court that the compensation, as decided by the Commission of Inquiry will be paid with interest from the date of occurrence to the beneficiaries within four weeks from the date of submission of their account details.
Claiming that as per the direction of the court, all the victims had furnished the details on October 27, 2016 itself, the petitioner submitted that but till date, compensation has not been paid but till date.
