Blast victims’ kin await relief

At least 20 children of last year's Delhi high court blast victims are still waiting for various kinds of monetary, physical and psychological rehabilitation promised after the tragedy.

At least 20 children of last year's Delhi high court blast victims are still waiting for various kinds of monetary, physical and psychological rehabilitation promised after the tragedy.

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"There has been no movement on that front despite a Delhi High Court order two weeks after the blast and specific rules of 'project assist' of the National Foundation of Communal Harmony (NFCH) coming under the union home ministry," said Gaurav Bansal, a lawyer who has taken up the cause of children.

"It seems the authorities have forgotten the issue of rehabilitation of children of the bomb blast victims. The same was the case in the Diwali-eve bombings of 2005 in which 67 people lost their lives," he added.

The government had announced a compensation of R10 lakh to the next of kin of those who were killed in the terror attack and those who were permanently disabled.

The issue of children came to the fore in a petition filed by one Imran Ali, a resident of Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi, who was permanently disabled in the blast. He alleged that his daughter was denied compensation and rehabilitation, as announced by the ministry.

As per the govt scheme, children of such victims are to be provided up to R1,000 per month till Class 12 and R1,250 up to graduation and post graduation.

"When I approached the magistrate concerned to get the monetary relief, I was told that it is applicable to only those children who have lost both their parents," Ali said. The court order had said children of blast victims should be helped under National Foundation for Communal Harmony.