PIL on uniform compensation for victims of cross border firing | HC seeks Govt response

Srinagar: High Court of J&K and Ladakh has issued notice to Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India and J&K government on a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) seeking to pay equal and uniform compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each victim of cross border firing and landmine blasts.

A division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Justice Mohan Lal issued the notice on the PIL filed by a Trust- “Uri Foundation Lagama”, through its General Secretary, Sajid Naseer.

   

Assistant Solicitor General of India Tahir Shamsi accepted notice on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs while senior additional advocate general B A Dar waived the same on behalf of J&K government.

The PIL is likely to come up for further consideration on February 14, 2022, the next date of hearing.

The petitioner through his counsel Syed Musaib is seeking the uniform compensation in terms of the revised “guidelines” of Central scheme for assistance to civilian victims/family of the victims of terrorism, communal/left wing extremism (EWE) violence and cross border firing and mine/IED blasts On Indian Territory, 2019” without adhering to any cut-off date.

The PIL also is also seeking direction for expediting the construction work of community bunkers within the sub-division Uri in order to ensure the lives of the people living in the area are protected and also ease the time restriction for the residents living in the fenced area in Uri, Sub-division.

The PIL underscores that “there is an urgent need for the unresolved tragedy of land mines to be addressed by the Governmental Authorities at both, grass-root level as well as national level”.

“The sufferings caused by the landmines are viewed as a crime against humanity across the world, and yet the Guidelines, 2019 instead of even recognizing it as an issue/crime has brazenly created classes among the victims/survivors,” reads the PIL.

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