Utkal Express tragedy: Railways set up benches for swift claims settlement

Special benches to be held in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Lucknow and 3 other places

Special benches of Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) would be held at six places, including Bhubaneswar, to expeditiously settle compensation claims of victims of recent Kalinga Utkal Express and Kaifiyat Express train accidents.

The chairman of Railway Claims Tribunal has ordered for these special benches to inquire into and decide compensation claims of the victims of these mishaps so that compensation can be handed over immediately, an East Coast Railway (ECoR statement said.

While 18477 Puri-Haridwar Kalinga Utkal Express had derailed on August 19, 12225 Azamgarh-Delhi Kaifiyat Express mishap took place on August, 23 in Uttar Pradesh, it said.

The Special Benches will be held at RCT Headquarters in Delhi and also at five other places -- Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar from September 11 to 15.

In Bhubaneswar, RCT would hold Special Bench at Odisha Forest Development Corporation Limited Building during this period, it said.

People who had sustained injury or suffered any loss, any agent authorised by the victim on his behalf, guardian of the victim in case of minor or the dependent of the deceased resulted from these accidents can apply for compensation with relevant identity proofs in original like Aadhaar Card, voter identity card, ration card, family register, resident proof including other relevant documents, it added.