The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Seven more adalats for tsunami victims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Seven more adalats for tsunami victims

By A. Subramani

CHENNAI, MARCH 23. The Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA) will hold seven adalats over the next few weeks to dispose of over 8,000 applications received from tsunami victims in and around Chennai.

The first adalat, conducted here on February 16, disposed of more than 450 of the 500 petitions taken up for hearing. According to the Member-Secretary, M. Jeyapaul, most of the victims who got orders in their favour received relief from the Government.

To dispose of all pending applications, the District Legal Services Authority, headed by the principal sessions judge, P. Murugesan, would hold adalats on March 28, April 11, 19, 21, 26, 28 and 29 at the TNSLSA headquarters in the Madras High Court complex. At least 500 applications would be processed at each adalat.

At the March 28 adalat, the TNSLSA would arrange for food for about 750 participants, so that they could stay till eveningand obtain orders. The adalats would take up complaints of loss of or damage to boats and nets, compensation for injuries, succession certificates and solatium for missing persons, said the I Assistant City Civil Judge, V. Pauldas, Secretary of the district authority. Fisheries department personnel were summoned.

Order to officials

At the last adalat, most of those who claimed compensation for damaged huts were owners but not original occupants, Mr. Jeyapaul said. The adalat sifted claims, locating the actual sufferer and extending relief. Officials processing claims were given clear instructions that only the occupants of huts, rented out by local musclemen or fishermen panchayat leaders, were entitled to compensation, said adalat counsel V. Kannadasan.

Processing applications

The Member-Secretary said the Authority would select one genuinely- affected victim from each region and employ him/her for two months to process applications. Referring to reports that many non-governmental organisations working among the victims were not active any more, Mr. Jeyapaul said firsthand knowledge gained by the selected persons of claims, relief and requirements of the affected persons would be of immense help.

A petition writer would be assigned to assist the temporarily employed tsunami victims.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu