The High Court has ordered performance of plastic surgery on a 16-year-old girl and boy, who had sustained serious burns in the fire tragedy in a thatched shed primary school in Kumbakonam in 2004.
Justice D Hariparanthaman gave the direction on Wednesday while passing further interim orders on a writ petition from K Inbaraj, secretary of Kumbakonam Fire Tragedy Victims Association, who had also lost his two sons in the tragic incident, praying for a direction to the government to pay adequate compensation to the parents of children who had perished in the fire and to order performance of plastic surgery to the needy.
While the State announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured, the Centre awarded Rs 50,000, besides treatment in private hospitals. Thanjavur administration gave housing pattas to each of the parents of the victims. However, no suitable compensation had been announced by the government.
The judge observed that payment of ex-gratia and house pattas could not absolve the government from granting medical aid to the children who had sustained burn injuries. The consultant plastic surgeon attached to Apollo Hospital stated that Kousalya and Vijay needed corrective surgery. Denying the treatment to the children by the State was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Justice Hariparanthaman said, and directed the Apollo hospital to admit the two children for plastic surgery as opined by the consultant and perform the surgery. The State should reimburse the expenses, estimated at Rs 1.25 lakh each, without delay, the judge said, and posted the matter on Oct 8.
Comments
0 comment