Court raises relief for Games overbridge crash victims

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi government to pay a compensation of Rs.300,000 each to the critically injured and Rs.100,000 each to others injured in the crash of a foot overbridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here a day earlier.

Soon after the accident Tuesday, the Delhi government announced a relief of Rs.100,000 for the grievously injured and Rs.50,000 for other injured.

Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan Wednesday directed the government to pay higher compensation to the injured labourers after hearing a public interest litigation.

The court also told the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), crime branch, to conduct investigations into the accident within a week and take action.

At least 27 labourers were injured in the collapse. Four of them were injured critically. The pedestrian bridge was constructed by Hyderabad-based PNR Infra at a cost of Rs.5 crore (Rs.50 million/$1 million). Construction was to be completed in two-three days.

The bench criticised the labour department of the Delhi government for failing to monitor whether the workmen were provided safety gear at the site.

“Actually your officers are not working. Keeping in view the gravity of the accident, the DCP (Crime Branch) is directed to investigate and proceed as per law,” the court said.

The bench also directed the deputy labour commissioner and assistant labour commissioner of Delhi government to visit all construction sites within a week and file an affidavit by the next date of hearing.

The court asked them to collect from the contractors details of deaths that have taken place at various construction sites and what steps they have taken to pay compensation to the aggrieved families.

Police have been directed to initiate criminal proceedings against PNR Infra which constructed the overbridge that crashed.

According to the petitioner NGO, more then 150 labourers have died at different construction sites in the capital, and of these 109 deaths took place at Delhi Metro construction sites.

The court passed the directions while hearing a petition filed by People’s Union for Democratic Rights in January this year.

The NGO sought the court’s direction to the government to pay basic wages to labourers working at various construction sites for the Commonwealth Games projects.

The petition said the labourers employed by contractors were denied even the minimum wages.

Other allegations against the contractors included: denial of overtime and weekly offs to workers, irregular payment of wages, non-registration of workers with the welfare board, improper muster rolls and other records, denial of safety equipments free of cost to workers, and providing poor living facilities to workers.