The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre to expeditiously appoint a claims commissioner in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to redress grievances of victims of accidents within the premises of the authority.
Justice Manmohan said the appointment be preferably made within eight weeks, after the Ministry of Urban Development stated that the proposal to appoint a DMRC official as a claims commissioner has been forwarded to the ACC of Department of Personnel and Training for its approval.
The ministry said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) will take a decision within eight to ten weeks.
"Respondents (the Centre and others) are directed to appoint a claims commissioner in DMRC as expeditiously as possible, preferably within eight weeks," the court said.
The order was passed while disposing of the plea of a woman, Asiya Begum, who said she lost her son in an accident when he fell from the escalator at Chawri Bazar Metro station due to a huge crowd. She had sought Rs 10 lakh in compensation.
The court disposed of the plea with the liberty to her to agitate her claim for compensation before the claims commissioner.
On February 18, the court had pulled up DMRC or its "dereliction of duty" in not appointing a claims commissioner, as required by law.
It had expressed displeasure over DMRC "shirking" its responsibility under the statute to appoint such a forum for addressing the pleas of accident victims and had given it three weeks time to make the appointment.
The woman had moved the court, saying DMRC rejected her application for compensation in March last year on the ground that it was not its fault and her son died due to his own negligence.
On December 11, 2011, Asiya Begum's son, Khan Mohammad, was coming down the escalator and due to a huge crowd he fell down which resulted in his death, as per her petition.
