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Ladakh Administration Announces Compensation for Police Firing Victims
Confirmed
In Short: The Ladakh administration has sanctioned compensation for the families of four deceased and those injured during protests last year, aiming to support affected families.
The Ladakh administration has announced compensation for the families of the four persons killed in the police firing during protests in Leh on September 24 last year, fulfilling one of the demands of the two representative bodies of the Union Territory, according to reports.
The total financial commitment of the administration under the approved compensation measures will be Rs 1.52 crore, comprising Rs 60 lakh for the four deceased, Rs 72 lakh for 24 persons with major injuries, and Rs 20 lakh for 20 persons with minor injuries, as reported by Dailypioneer and The Indian Express.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, who took over in March this year, accorded priority to the matter and worked towards finalising an appropriate compensation package for the affected families and injured persons, according to a spokesperson from Dailypioneer and The Indian Express.
Saxena expressed his deep gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his sensitive, humanitarian, and guiding approach, and for always standing in solidarity with the victims and their families, as reported by Dailypioneer.
The administration has also announced compensation for the people injured during the protests for the statehood for Ladakh, which erupted after the student and youth organisations had called for a shutdown in Ladakh after two elderly persons fainted while on hunger strike during a fast announced by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, according to The Indian Express.
When administrative costs are running into tens of millions, ministers need to explain why the system is so expensive and whether victims are getting value from it, according to the organisation's chief executive John O'Connell, as reported by the BBC.
The amount spent on administration costs and medical assessments is more than double the £32m paid out in financial support to victims so far, according to the BBC.
What's confirmed
- Saxena, after taking over in March this year, accorded priority to the matter and worked towards finalising an appropriate compensation package for the affected families and injured persons, the spokesperson said, adding that the compensation is intended as a measure of support and solidarity with the affected families and individuals.
- “While no compensation amount can replace a life lost or erase the pain endured, the Ladakh Administration firmly stands beside every affected family in their journey towards healing and overcoming the grief,” Saxena said.
What's still developing
- Leh witnessed large-scale protests last year, demanding statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh.
- As Ladakh did not have a general policy prescribing compensation in cases of death or injury arising from incidents of public unrest or rioting, the administration examined the matter with a view to extending appropriate humanitarian assistance to the affected families and individuals.