Gujarat gets time to decide on jobs for riot victims’ kin

GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat High Court Thursday gave four weeks’ time to the state government to take a decision on giving jobs on compassionate grounds to family members of those killed in the 2002 communal riots.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice K.M. Thaker allowed more time to the state following government counsel P.K. Jani’s submission that the state had formed a three-member committee to chalk out a strategy for appointments on compassionate grounds.

The central government submitted in the court earlier that disbursing additional funds for paying compensation to a batch of recently identified riot victims would require the sanction of the parliament as at present there was no budgetary provision for the funds.

The union government earlier had disbursed funds for the victims but allocation of additional funds was sought by the state upon identification of other victims of the riots.