State responsible for delay in compensation to farmer families and abuse victims, says Bombay High Court

The bench was hearing a petition filed by an acid attack survivor seeking reimbursement of the expenses she had incurred on the treatment and financial assistance for future treatment, i.e plastic surgery.

The Bombay high court on Friday criticised the Maharashtra administration’s bureaucratic red-tapism, holding it responsible for the delay in compensation to rape and acid attack survivors as well as the families of farmers who have committed suicide.

The bench will hear the petition in three weeks and has asked the government to submit a compliance report. (HT file photo)

The bench was hearing a petition filed by an acid attack survivor seeking reimbursement of the expenses she had incurred on the treatment and financial assistance for future treatment, i.e plastic surgery. She was to receive the compensation and reimbursement under the state government’s Manodhairya Scheme.

“Shouldn’t the government cut down the bureaucracy and procedural technicalities and help the victim?” the division bench of Justice RM Borde and Justice Rajesh Kektar asked the additional government pleader Neha Bhide.

The bench further noted that the government had displayed similar apathy towards the families of farmers who had committed suicide as they are made to wait for years to get a compensation of Rs1 lakh.

Under the Manodhairya scheme, rape and acid attack survivors are paid up to Rs10 lakh and their medical expenses are covered by the government. In the case of this particular survivor, Bhide told the court that an amount of Rs4 lakh was kept aside for meeting the medical expenses of the petitioner. She said that the amount could not be disbursed as the petitioner had submitted the hospital bills late and the authorities had been unable to trace her to record her statement.

In response to this, the judges said that the amount should have been sent directly to the hospital. Bhide assured the court that the payment would be made within ten days after bill were verified. The court accepted this statement and directed the government to pay the petitioner an additional sum of Rs3 lakh within three weeks. The bench will hear the petition in three weeks and has asked the government to submit a compliance report.