SC Pulls Up Uttarakhand Govt For Delaying Compensation Of Doctor Widow
The Supreme Court ordered the Uttarakhand government to pay ₹1 crore to the widow of a doctor who died on duty in 2016. The compensation, which was initially announced as ₹50 lakh, had been pending for nine years due to legal battles. The court's order includes accrued interest and deductions for payments already made.
The Supreme Court has slammed the Uttarakhand government for failing to provide compensation to the widow of a doctor, who has been fighting a legal battle for nine years. The doctor passed away in 2016 while on duty at a community health centre. At the time, the state government had announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh for the family, which remains unpaid to this day.
According to a report by Live Law, the court expressed its displeasure over the prolonged legal struggle faced by the doctor's family. It directed the Uttarakhand government to pay the compensation with accrued interest. The court has ordered the state to compensate the bereaved family with ₹1 crore.
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar was hearing the state's special leave petition challenging the Uttarakhand High Court’s decision. In 2018, the court directed the government to pay ₹1.99 crore in compensation, including 7.5% annual interest from the date of filing the petition until the judgment. The court had also instructed the government to implement provisions of the State Medicare Service Persons and Institutions Act, 2013, and provide additional pension benefits to the family.
₹50 Lakh Compensation Accrued To ₹1 Crore
Despite approval from the Chief Secretary and Chief Minister, the compensation was never disbursed. The petitioner claimed that only ₹1 lakh had been given as an ex gratia amount. Acknowledging this, the Supreme Court ruled that the family must receive the amount with nine years of accrued interest, totalling ₹1 crore.
During the hearing, the Uttarakhand government informed the court that ₹11 lakh had already been paid to the family. Additionally, following a 2021 Supreme Court directive, the family received payments for leave encashment, gratuity, General Provident Fund (GPF), family pension, and Government Insurance Scheme (GIS). The doctor's son was also appointed as a junior assistant in the health department. Considering this, the court deducted ₹11 lakh from the total amount and finalised the compensation at ₹89 lakh.
The doctor was shot dead by assailants on April 20, 2016, while on duty at the Jaspur Community Health Centre. The bereaved family stated that had the government disbursed the promised ₹50 lakh in 2016, they wouldn’t have had to endure nine years of legal battles.
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