The Madras High Court has appointed the Commission of Inquiry to determine the quantum of compensation which is payable to the families of 94 children who was killed in the 2004 Kumbakonam School fire tragedy. The compensation is fixed as Rs. 5 Lakhs which is payable to each of the parents or legal heirs of the victims.
Justice K. Venkatraman Commission has submitted in the report that the compensation has been arrived at based on the notional income of Rs.30,000 which is prescribed by the Supreme Court in Kishan Gopal case. The annual contribution of the victims to their families if they were alive and working could be taken as Rs.30,000.
By applying the multiplier of 15, the amount of compensation was fixed at Rs.4.5 Lakhs and a conventional amount of Rs.50,000 has to be added and a total of Rs.5 Lakhs, which was Venkatraman a retired judge. The former judge has also stated that the compensation which is payable carries interest rate at 6% per annum from the date of filing the claim before the Commission.
The entire amount shall be paid by the state which will be collected later from the school where the accident has happened, education and municipal authorities, the noon meal organizer and the cook who were working in the school. The Bench has then listed the case for direction on April 29th.
