Delhi Riots : Urgent Need To Enhance Compensation For Victims, Harsh Mander & Others Write To CM Kejriwal [Read Letter]

In a letter to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a group of concerned citizens have expressed the urgent need for enhancement of compensation towards violence-affected persons on account of recent riots that engulfed the capital recently. The letter drafted by Farah Naqvi, Anjali Bhardwaj, Annie Raja, Harsh Mander, Apoorvanand, Anirban Bhattacharya & Amrita Johri, has urged the Delhi CM to enhance compensation for those who died in Delhi's violence and urgently amend the compensation package to respond to real needs of survivors. Asserting that the Delhi government must follow suit of the Uttar Pradesh Government, which had awarded Rs. 13 lacs compensation for death, following the Muzaffarnagar violence of 2013, it is emphasized that the compensation awarded must be increased to 25 lacs, keeping in mind the high cost of living in a metropolis like Delhi. "There is also an urgent need to enhance compensation under other heads, taking into account the quantum given to violence affected persons in earlier incidents in India and adjusting it for inflation and higher cost of living in an urban metropolis like Delhi" the letter says. Furthermore, it asks for sexual violence to be included in the categories for compensation. Since all loss of life is terrible, there mustn't be a difference in compensation awarded for death on the basis of being a "minor & major", it states. Basing ground assessments, the group further states that there is a need to respond to real needs of survivors, including workers rendered jobless, tenants evicted overnight as well as those whose insurance policies did not cover cars, bikes, and other goods destroyed by rioting. Making systematic suggestions and revisions, it insists that enhanced compensation must be effectuated in a real time basis. "There is a need for on-ground assessment of loss to these enterprises with cost to be calculated at prevailing market rates, including for showrooms, shops, bakery units, godowns, home-based work, electrical spare-part units, die-making units, tailoring units and others, and fair compensation slabs determined" Emphasising the need for the government to issue a fresh order, the letter states that it is pertinent that internally displaced persons (IDPs) may be provided the right to full rehabilitation in new locations. "Government must issue an order recognizing the category of internally displaced persons (IDPs), as persons who are unable to return to their original place of dwelling" it states. The letter, inter alia, further urges the Government to devise a plan towards the process of time-bound disbursement of compensation as "there is much anxiety and confusion on the ground on the process." The letter also highlights the pertinent need of releasing survival relief to victims and states that 25,000 victims of the riots have not received any compensation, even after 2 weeks have passed since violence erupted in the capital. Click here to download letterRead Letter

Delhi Riots : Urgent Need To Enhance Compensation For Victims, Harsh Mander & Others Write To CM Kejriwal [Read Letter]

Sanya Talwar

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