Tamil Nadu govt promises budget fund, accident victims may get aid

TIRUPPUR: The state budget could bring relief to road accident victims in the district who are awaiting compensation for nearly four years as the government is likely to allocate funds.

Around 1,480 road accident victims are yet to receive solatium for the past four years to the tune of Rs 14.24 crore.  As per GO (MS) 141/2014, the state government should sanction Rs 100,000 from the Chief Minister’s Accident Relief Fund as solatium to the family of each road accident victim in the case of death, Rs 50,000 for permanent disability, Rs 50,00 for grievous injuries, Rs 30,000 for loss of one eye or limb and Rs 10,000 for minor injuries.

Speaking to TNIE, social activist A Eswaran said, “Compensation is delayed for many years and the families, most of them belonging to poor financial backgrounds, are upset about it. Despite several requests from social activists and the general public, the revenue department is yet to forward the issue to higher officials.”

KVS Manikumar, another activist said, “I suffered injuries on the spinal cord in a bus accident in 2020. I applied for compensation immediately, but I am yet to get it. Not just me, hundreds of applicants are suffering the delay in getting compensation.”

An official from the Social Security Scheme (Tiruppur District) said, “Fund allocation is usually made annually. As pending cases have touched 1,480 in four years, we intimated the government, and have received a positive answer that the state budget will be allocating more funds this time.”