The Madras high court has held that the outer limit of compensation of Rs 4 lakh to victims of train accidents is inadequate and has said that it is high time the Union government enhances the limit that was fixed in 1997.
Justice P. Devadass upheld the order of the Chennai bench of the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) awarding Rs 4 lakh compensation to the parents of Bakkiyaraj, 24, who fell down from the Chennai-Mangalore Express when the train suddenly moved from an unscheduled halt at Veeravakiyam railway station and died on the spot on August 24, 2007.
Compensation is calculated choosing the appropriate multiplier depending on the age of the deceased, size of the family, and keeping in mind even loss of future prospects in case the deceased held a stable job.
However, in the Railway Rules, whatever might be the extent of pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses to the families of victims of railway accidents, a maximum of Rs 4 lakh has been granted.
It does not appear to be a fair, reasonable and just compensation and it is also not based on relevant aspects, the judge said. In view of the outer limit, this court has no power to grant more compensation, he said.