MP HIGH Court in Jabalour on Thursday directed the Union government to formulate a scheme within three months to compensate victims of mishaps taking place in industrial units and to release funds for cleaning of environment contaminated by mishaps in the defence establishments or private factories handling ammunitions or hazardous chemicals.
The PIL filed by Gyan Prakash claimed the Union government has not yet prepared any scheme under the Public Liability Insurance Act and Public Liability Insurance Rules 1991. As a result Rs 170 crore, collected by the four general insurance companies, were lying unutilised.
The petitioner said fire accidents had taken place in ordnance factories in different parts of Madhya Pradesh including Jabalpur, Itarsi and Khamaria and Central Ordnance Depot in Jabalpur since 1998 and in this background the government was yet to formulate the scheme.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice A K Patnaik and Justice S C Sinho allowed the PIL with observation that the owners of industrial establishments should give relief to the affected irrespective of whether they have got the insurance policy to cover their liability under the Public Liability Insurance Act.