CHENNAI: Southern Railway deposited Rs 42 lakh into the account of Railway
Claims Tribunal (RCT)’s Chennai bench on Friday night, to be paid as suo motu
compensation to those killed and
injured in the accident at
St Thomas Mount station on July 24, a senior RCT official said.
However, the RCT is in a quandary as none of the beneficiary families has contacted them so far to claim the amount.
“Southern Railway was given a deadline of August 17. However, it has acted quickly and remitted the amount well before the deadline. We had given a press news asking for the beneficiaries to contact us and also intimated the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) if the families contacted them. But no-one has come forward so far,” the official said.
On July 24, 10 people travelling on footboard of a train from Chennai Beach to Chengalpet were hit by a cement fence at platform 3 of St Thomas Mount station. While five died after falling on the railway tracks, the rest suffered injuries.
The RCT, in a rare order on July 24, had directed that Rs 8 lakh each be deposited for the
dead and Rs 2 lakh each for the injured. It was the first order of its kind where the railways was asked to pay compensation even before a formal application was made by the victims and the families of the deceased.
RCT had noted that commuters were forced to travel on footboard as the trains were crowded during peak-hour rush. This was completely opposite to what railway officials claimed – that they were not at fault for the death of the commuters.
RCT has directed that the applications can be filled in with details of dependants of the deceased and the tribunal will be flexible to allow changes in the applications if details are disclosed later.
The tribunal has also ordered to release Rs 2 lakh each (for the deceased) and Rs 50,000 each (for the injured) from the amount deposited. This will be adjusted against the final outcome of the award when the full particulars are gathered.
The parties concerned were directed to contact the tribunal functioning at ‘Fresh Ford’, 50, McNichols Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600 031 for any further information.
