The Supreme Court today (September 16) issued notice to the Secretaries of the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department and Labour and Industry Department, seeking effective compliance with directions to create a dashboard displaying live updates on compensation amounts lying deposited in connection with motor accident claims and labour court cases.

It may be recalled that in April 2025, a bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued a slew of directions after a letter was addressed by a retired District Judge, BB Pathak, to the Court raising concern that huge amounts of compensation are lying unclaimed before Courts.

It directed that compensation paid to claimants under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 or the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 is to be directly credited to their bank accounts. One of the directions was that the High Courts, with the help of State governments, shall create a dashboard on which the information regarding amounts lying deposited in connection with the compensation shall be established and regularly updated with details.

In the last hearing, the amicus Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora informed that Allahabad, Madras, Meghalaya, Delhi and Telangana High Courts are yet to create dashboards. The Court had ordered the Registrar General of the High Courts to file reports. Following this, in today's hearing, she informed that except for Allahabad and Madras High Courts, all others have now filed an affidavit of compliance. She pointed out that the delay on the part of the Madras High Court is justified because they have established the dashboard but are in the process of doing a security audit. She added that the Madras High Court is, in fact, the first High Court to carry out a security audit.

Arora then requested that since Allahabad High Court is yet to file compliance, it may be added as a necessary party.

Based on this, a bench comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice AS Chandurkar ordered: "We have heard learned Meenakshi Arora, also amicus and assisted by Ms Vishakha. On 28.7.2026, we had passed the following orders. It transpires that the High Courts of Delhi, Meghalaya and Telangana have complied with the directions g of the order dated 18.8.2025 by providing dashboards displaying live status of unclaimed amounts.

Madras High Court has filed an affidavit indicating that paragraph 4 of the affidavit reads thus....

In so far the Allahabad High Court is concerned , Registrar General has filed on 15.09.2026 wherein it has detailed the steps taken, that the matter is before the State government and the High Court is pursuing with the government on priority basis. The delay has been explained in paragraph 12 of the affidavit. In the circumstances, we feel that the State of Uttar Pradesh, represented by the Secretary of Transportaton to be added as a party to ensure that the directions contained in clause g of the order dated 18.8.25 are complied with. Accordingly, we add State of Uttar through the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary, Labour and Industry Department as necessary parties. Let notice go to the Secretaries. List on 28.10.26."

Case Details: IN RE COMPENSATION AMOUNTS DEPOSITED WITH MOTOR ACCIDENT CLAIMS TRIBUNALS AND LABOUR COURTS |SMW(C) No. 7/2024